World, Reloaded
by CerdicOfWessex
Summary: Continuation fic that has derailed itself and gone to the big FFN in the sky.
1. Prologue

**DISCLAIMER, YO**

I do not own _Neon Genesis Evangelion_; Gainax and Hideaki Anno do. I'm just a 16-year-old fanboy from Alaska.

Looking for "Triumvirate"? I've deleted it. This is my replacement. Please read and review. Thanks. – C.o.W.

**Prologue**

**

* * *

**

Excerpt from the official United Nations Complete Report on the Human Instrumentality Project:

_The Project is believed to have failed when Dr. Ritsuko Akagi killed Commander Gendo Ikari with a simple handgun. Her official statement is as follows:_

"_I was planning on destroying all of NERV, but I changed my mind. I feared that the MAGI, designed by my mother, would betray me. I could not let this happen. I made my way to Terminal Dogma, where Lilith was kept. Commander Ikari and the Pilot Ayanami were there. Ayanami turned to me and I knew then that it would be wrong to completely destroy the facility. I could not waste innocent lives. Ikari turned around to face me. I was sure he had a gun too, so I fired first. I don't know how many bullets hit him, but I emptied the gun. Rei did nothing. I cried."_

_Dr. Akagi left the area with the girl Ayanami. They came into contact with Japanese officials, who arrested them. An autopsy performed on Ikari revealed seven bullet holes. Embedded in Ikari's right hand was biological material. Upon examination, the material was revealed to be a part of the first Angel, "Adam". Ikari had planned to insert the material into the girl Ayanami and have her merge with the second Angel, "Lilith"._

_

* * *

_

Excerpt from the official United Nations Complete Report on Evangelion Units:

_Units 05 through 13 then attacked Unit 02. Although 02 beat off its opponents, they re-activated and tore apart Unit 02. The entry plug containing the girl Soryu fell to the bottom of the lake. It was recovered when the force from the anti-AT field blew it out of the water. The entry plug was damaged enough to allow its occupant to escape._

…

_Unit 01 was lifted out of the Geo-Front by Units 05 through 13, apparently to perform a "purification ceremony". An anti-AT field was generated, revealing the Geo-Front to the surface air and destroying much of the remains of Tokyo-3._

_

* * *

_

Excerpt from the official United Nations Complete Report on the Human Instrumentality Project:

_A merger between the first and second angels did not happen. SEELE realized that the project had failed. They decided that the Dead Sea Scrolls had been seriously misinterpreted, and the organization disbanded. Chairman Lorenz Keel was found murdered three days after the dissolution._

* * *

Excerpt from the official United Nations Complete Report on Evangelion Pilots: 

_Pilot Shinji Ikari was admitted to a hospital in Tokyo-2. He suffered from serious psychological disturbances and neural trauma after Unit 01 fell to Earth when the "purification ceremony" stopped._

…

_Pilot Asuka Langley Soryu was transferred to the same hospital when the Geo-Front was abandoned. Her condition remained serious. With the extent of brain damage she received, she was physically and mentally restricted._

…

_Pilot Rei Ayanami was found to be partially human and partially artificial. She possessed mechanical implants in her arms and legs for improved reflexes. After being submitted to the same hospital as the other two pilots, it was revealed that her physical state was deteriorating. She died three months later. Former NERV technician Maya Ibuki witnessed the child's death. Her official statement is as follows:_

"_Rei looked right at me. She told me she loved me. She told me she loved Shinji and Asuka. Then she told me to tell Sempai Dr. Ritsuko Akagi that she loved her, too, especially for destroying the dummy plug system of which copies of Ayanami were used; only three copies have lived. Finally, Rei said that her heart was full of love… for the whole world. She wished that she had only had more time to show this love to us all. Then her eyes closed and she stopped breathing. I wanted to cry, but the tears wouldn't come._

_

* * *

_

Excerpt from the official United Nations Complete Report on NERV Personnel:

_As of January 1, 2019, all surviving former NERV employees live in Tokyo-2._

…

_As of January 1, 2019, the body of former NERV specialist Ryouji Kaji has not been recovered._


	2. Awakening

**DISCLAIMER, YO**

I do not own _Neon Genesis Evangelion_; Gainax and Hideaki Anno do. I'm just a 16-year-old fanboy from Alaska.

Please read and review. Thanks. – C.o.W.

**Chapter 1 – Awakening**

Shinji Ikari awoke in a dark hospital room. _It feels like night,_ he reckoned. He had no idea where he was. How long had he been asleep? The last thing he remembered was falling to the ground in his EVA. _Third Impact must have failed, _he thought. He tried to sit up, but his muscles were too weak. _I can't even open my mouth!_ He was becoming very nervous. _Was I in a coma?_ He needed answers to his questions. How long would he have to wait before they came? Although he couldn't move around much, he felt different. _I had to have been in a coma._ Suddenly he realized that his hair, which he usually maintained, was now very long. It was below his shoulders. It was scratching against his back; he felt very uncomfortable. _It must have been years, _he thought. With that thought, the memories of the last day began to return. What hit him hardest was the memory of the death of Misato Katsuragi, the closest thing he had ever had to a parent since his mother died. Immediately, tears welled up in his eyes. They fell down his face, but he was unable to lift his hand to stop them. _Who else is dead? _he wondered. _Ritsuko-san? Rei? Asuka?_

Across the hall from Shinji's room was the room in which the comatose Asuka Langley Soryu lay. Dr. Akagi had speculated that both pilots might awake around at the same time, since Shinji fell to Earth at about the point that Asuka had escaped from her entry plug and collapsed on the shore of the lake outside the main NERV building.

Shinji was discovered to be conscious six hours after he awoke. At that point, the morning sun streamed through his window, washing his face in cool light. Dr. Akagi herself came to give him a morning check-up. She looked almost unchanged after four years, except for a few more lines stress around her eyes. Her life had been surprisingly uneventful after the Geo-Front was abandoned. She had been interviewed extensively by the United Nations for their reports on everything that had happened underneath and around Tokyo-3 in 2015. She found these conversations much more pleasant than the one she'd had in front of the monolithic SEELE speakers. Afterwards, she had moved to the capital, Tokyo-2, and gone to work for a large city hospital there. Ritsuko's personal life was more of the same as well. She'd bought a large apartment and lived with a cat that she had named Misato, after her late best friend. Relationships with people had been… failures. She only wished she was more of a "people person". All of these depressed thoughts sat in the back of her mind as she opened the door to the boy's room and he, upon hearing the sound, turned to her. She gasped and ran to his bedside.

"Doctor," Shinji said softly.

"Shinji! I'm so glad to see you," Ritsuko replied happily. "How are you?" She knew exactly how he was. She was his doctor. His muscles had begun to atrophy after four years in a bed, but the situation would have been much more serious if he had not had such extensive physical training at NERV.

"I am very weak, Ritsuko-san, and hungry, too. I feel very dizzy."

"I understand, Shinji. First, however, you will need a couple of shots."

"Shots?" It's not that Shinji was afraid of needles or anything; he was just hoping to leave the hospital soon.

"Yes, your muscles haven't had to do much in a long time. I am just going to administer some stimulants," the blonde doctor explained. Carefully, she inserted a needle into each of Shinji's arms. He looked at her, but didn't really acknowledge her. _He's scared and confused, _Ritsuko thought. _I expected this._

Slowly, Shinji felt strength return to his arms; it made them somewhat warm. It was a pleasant feeling. Dr. Akagi's last response touched his curiosity.

"Doctor, just how long has it been?"

Her face which was watching his caringly suddenly fell to her lap. She breathed in and out heavily. It was clear that she couldn't snow him. Without looking at Shinji, she spoke.

"Four years, Shinji Ikari. It's 2019."

The silence that ensued was maddening. He stared away from his doctor out the window again. She stared at the floor. _It was not the wrong thing to do, _she told herself. _It was the only to do._

Shinji was shocked. He knew he had been comatose, but he hadn't prepared himself for the fact that he had lost four years of his life. _I'm 18 years old now. I've missed four years of school, friends, and love._

"Where is everybody?"

Ritsuko had expected this question would come soon enough.

"Misato is, as you know, dead. She died during the Japanese invasion of NERV, of course. Your father is dead; he was murdered before he had a chance to combine Rei and Adam, of whom he had a piece implanted in his hand. Speaking of Rei, she is dead as well."

Shinji's eyes widened and his breathing became quick and scared. "Was she m-murdered, too?"

"No. Her physical body broke down. It was simply a shortcoming of the imperfect cloning of your mother, Shinji. Rei was already dying when Gendo Ikari tried to initiate Third Impact. She died three months after him… to the day."

"Were you there?"

"Unfortunately not; I was in New York, being interviewed by the United Nations. Maya Ibuki was at Rei's bedside. She told me that Rei felt little pain and left our world in great peace. You shouldn't talk to her about it, though. She always cries when anything about Rei is mentioned."

"Wh-what about A-Asuka-san?"

In her mind, Ritsuko smirked at the use of the honorific. On the outside, she ignored it.

"She is indeed alive, but comatose, as you were. In fact, she is in the hospital room across from this very one. I should think you might want to see her later."

This hit Shinji quite hard. Asuka was in a hospital again. It brought back the single memory of the lowest, most vile thing he had ever done in the presence of another person. He hung his head in true guilt. _I have to do something to make it up to Asuka, _he believed. _I shall… win her heart._ It was a noble goal, in the least.

"Other than that," Dr. Akagi said as she stood up, "Everyone else is still alive: Fuyutsuki, Ibuki, Hyuuga, and Aoba. Your former classmates are all okay, but they are scattered throughout the countryside. I talk to Mr. Suzuhara occasionally, because he was once a pilot and I have some important medical records on him. I can give you his number if you would like."

Shinji was mulling over everything he had heard so far. Ritsuko looked down at the boy. _He's got a lot to think about, poor thing._ She went to a corner of the room and called over to him.

"Would you like to leave bed now, Shinji?"

This snapped him out of his thoughts. "Yes, Doctor," he asserted. He went to swing his legs over the side of the bed, but found that his legs were all but functional. He cried out in shock.

"My legs don't work!"

"That's why you'll need this," Ritsuko said, bringing something over to his bedside. It was a wheelchair.

"Can't I walk?"

"Not without this," she replied, indicating the electric wheelchair.

"Can't I have some stimulants for my legs?" He was unaware of the fact that he was sounding like his old whiney self again.

"Sure, but if you tried to stand, you'd collapse under your own weight," the doctor said apologetically. Shinji sighed. _I guess this is my only option, _he thought dejectedly. He dragged himself backwards until he was ready to just plop into the wheelchair. Instead, he missed the wheelchair, hitting the front of it and falling straight to the floor with the wheelchair on top of him. He let out a weak groan. Ritsuko had seen the tumble and rolled her eyes before hoisting Shinji up and into the chair herself. _Gah, he's heavy! I need a smoke,_ she complained to herself.

In a few minutes, Shinji had mastered the joystick of his wheelchair and was scooting around the room, somewhat pleased with himself. He was beginning to forget his bad memories, until he realized this, and promptly remembered them. He sulked as he waited in front of the door. _Rei's dead. We could have been… friends,_ he pondered. He turned around to look at Dr. Akagi, who was turned away from him, writing furiously.

"Um, Ritsuko-san, I'm ready to leave."

"Yes, alright, I'll be right there, Shinji."

Shinji considered that this might be a few minutes, so he glanced over the rest of his room. His eyes fell upon the nightstand, where there was a pile of his personal belongings. He scooted over to the stand to examine everything. His well-worn SDAT player lay on top of everything. He lovingly picked it up to examine it. First, the batteries were long dead. Secondly, the tapes had been lost. Searching around, he couldn't find any of his tapes. Sadly, he sighed. _It's going to be even harder to buy more tapes, after four years of technology. Maybe I should buy a CD player instead._ He looked at the dented, rattling piece of equipment again. _Yep, I need to listen to something new, _he decided. He suddenly noticed something unfamiliar on the nightstand. Picking it up, he realized it was a get-well card. On the cover was a happy chibi-boy holding a green balloon. There was no text. Shinji opened the card, which read "We Miss You! Get Well Soon!" in ornate Japanese characters on the left-hand side of the card's interior. There were a number of signatures: Kouzou, Maya, Ritsuko, Toji, Kensuke, Hikari, Asuka, and Rei. The last two were the most intriguing. Asuka had written in small letters at the top of the space "You are NOT going to die before me, baka! Wake up!" Rei's first name was written it the middle of the right-hand side in perfect script. Tears again began to form in Shinji's eyes. _They care about me, _he thought.

Shinji turned around slowly. Ritsuko was standing over him, waiting patiently.

"Rei signed it before she died. I was surprised she could still write." Shinji knew that the doctor didn't mean this in a sarcastic way; he nodded.

"What about Asuka? Didn't we go into comas at around the same time?"

"There was a week between you and her becoming comatose. I had her sign this right away. It took a while to get the other signatures."

"I want to go now."

"Sure thing," Ritsuko said softly. She opened the door for him and he scooted out into the wide hallway. He was facing the door to Asuka's room.

"May I?" he asked quietly.

"Yes. Just be quiet." She opened Asuka's door for him. He drifted to her bedside. She lay on her back, her eyes closed, breathing softly. Her dark crimson hair was longer than ever. It framed her shoulders. Her neural interface clips were gone, giving her face a more rounded look. _She looks perfect, _Shinji thought. Unaware of his surroundings, he lifted a hand off of his wheelchair and stroked the young woman's chin. Ritsuko, a bit shocked at Shinji's blatant affection pretended not to see him.

A moment later, Shinji asked an unexpected question.

"Do you have a pen, Ritsuko-san?"

"Why, yes, Shinji-kun. Here you go." She handed him the pen, unsure of his intentions. Shinji took the pen and turned to Asuka's nightstand, where a similar card lay. In it were the same group of signatures, except for his and hers. Shakily, he added his name. Below it he wrote "I miss you" as he whispered it to himself for reassurance. Ritsuko realized what he had done, and she smiled lovingly. _What a nice boy._

He turned to the blonde doctor and indicated that he was ready to leave. The two left Asuka's room silently. Before he exited the room, he turned back to the supine girl. He smiled. Then, he turned and left. Ritsuko also gazed at the young girl as she closed the door. _You, Asuka Langley Soryu, _she thought as if she was speaking, _are loved very much. Don't screw this up._

The door closed, and Asuka's eyes opened. She had woken up shortly before the two had entered. She had heard them come in. She had felt Shinji's hand caress her face. She had wanted to get up and yell at him, but she couldn't mentally bring herself to do it. Finally, she had heard Shinji whisper "I miss you."

Asuka Langley Soryu cried silently as the city of Tokyo-2 woke up around her.


	3. Who's That Girl?

**DISCLAIMER, YO**

I do not own _Neon Genesis Evangelion_; Gainax and Hideaki Anno do. I'm just a 16-year-old fanboy from Alaska.

Sorry this is such a short chapter, even for me. It's worth it, though. ;) Please read and review. Thanks. – C.o.W.

**Chapter 2 – Who's That Girl?**

School was out for the summer, and a tall, slender young woman climbed into her cherry-red sports car and left her high school behind. The wind played with her long brown hair. She wore a small pink jacket over a yellow paisley sundress. Her brilliant white teeth shone in the morning sun. She wore slim black sunglasses to protect her deep, crystalline dark-brown eyes. Her saucy red lipstick was a "nice touch". Her face was perfect; her body was curvaceous. However, she had eluded every pervert and weirdo during her four years of high school.

She had no need for a map; the bright girl had memorized her route. She had even chosen the most probable place to find her… prey. Remembering this phrase that she had told one of her friends, she laughed aloud. The sound floated along the wind and dissipated, to be heard by nobody else.

She was glad that the graduation ceremony had finished so early. This girl was the top placer in the entire school. She considered herself lucky to have gotten away from the crowds of her fellow students. She had said only a few parting words to her family; they knew this day would come. She would be able to make it to her destination before sundown.

The roads along which she traveled were rural and well-aged. Potholes had become mere depressions in the surface of the dirt road. Puddles spattered the sides of her pristine car, but she didn't care. At about 1:30 PM, she reached a small suburban town. She parked in front of the town library. Getting out of her car, she could see the skyline of Tokyo-2 in the distance. _Here it is, _she thought, looking around, _the place I've been headed to for four years._

As she expected, there was an outdoor basketball court behind the library. A bunch of teenagers, who all looked to be fresh out of high school, like her, were playing a rowdy game of basketball and generally unwinding after what had seemed like an exceptionally long senior year. She sat on the hood of her bright convertible, taking in the town, the sun, the experience. She watched the game from afar. They couldn't see her… yet. She squinted, looking for two people in particular. Soon enough, she found one of them. He was sitting on a bench, out of the action. Instead of watching the basketball players deftly running back and forth in front of him, the young man had his head buried in front of a silver laptop computer. His large, perfectly-round glasses completely hid his eyes. His long, shaggy blond hair fell down the sides of his face.

The girl was impressed. _I didn't expect him to grow his hair out, but I did expect him to be fiddling with something electronic, typical._

_

* * *

_  
The boy in question had gotten very good grades this year; he was pretty proud of himself. Right now, however, he had his face focused on something that was completely of no use to his education: computer games. He had been immersed in an extremely huge and complex MMORPG, in which he was currently a level 45 divine elf warrior. He chuckled to himself as he obliterated an orc and gathered a good-sized chunk of gold coins and several rare weapons. The young man was, therefore, oblivious to the watchful eyes of the girl in front of the cherry-red convertible. Due to his near-addiction to this game, everybody now called him Ozzie; his elf warrior's name was Ozicuth. The boy didn't mind at all. He was nearly respected just for being so adept at a relatively difficult game.

At his side was a pile of books, all in English. Four years ago, he could barely understand the English words on the menu at the Tokyo-3 McDonald's. By this time, he had taught himself the incredibly difficult language just for the sake of reading great English series in their original tongue. The Japanese translations were as watered-down as his childhood cartoons were in America. It was ironic. These particular books he was lugging around today just happened to be every work ever published by the British author J.R.R. Tolkien.

* * *

The mysterious girl knew very little of this, however. She wouldn't have cared anyway. The geeky kid at the computer was not her top priority. It was the young man who walked up to him as the basketball game broke up. Upon seeing him, the girl's heart skipped a beat. He was looking a lot like the last time she had seen him, only more handsome! _I must strike soon, while there are still plenty of people around, and while **he** is still there._ Gathering herself, she straightened her dress and shuffled closer to the basketball court. 

The second boy towered over the one at the screen. His arms folded, he looked rather impatient. He had grown just a bit taller in four years, but he was more muscular. He still kept his jet-black hair spiky, short, and full of his favorite brand of hair gel. His toned face was still very serious, even when he laughed. He wore a white tank top and jean shorts. His worn black blazer and black windbreaker pants were folded up in his duffel bag.

"Dude, Ozzie. Let's go, man."

"Okay, I just need to find a spot to take a nap." This meant logging off from Ozzie's new favorite pastime. The athlete sighed heavily and rolled his eyes.

"Fine, fine, finish up. I need to get something to eat. You do, too."

"I just ate."

"In real life, doofus."

"Oh, yeah. I could use a bite."

"That's what I thought. Get me when you're done." The second teen proceeded to meet up with some of the other players. They began to discuss the latest J-Rock bands.

The strange girl struck. She had reached the basketball court and slowly opened the chain-link door. This went unnoticed by the boys. So, she cleared her throat loudly enough to grab everybody's attention. Every pair of eyes surveyed the gorgeous babe who'd seemingly just wandered onto their basketball court. A few rowdy whistles erupted and a dozen or so nosebleeds occurred simultaneously. With some satisfaction, the girl recognized "Ozzie" as one of recipients of a discharge of blood from the nasal passage. He was moaning over having gotten some blood on his computer. "I've been owned by a girl!" he wailed as his precious elf warrior was slaughtered, losing half of his inventory.

"Shut up, Aida," somebody snapped. Nevertheless, it was the prettiest girl that Kensuke "Ozzie" Aida had seen since a certain purple-haired goddess back in his Tokyo-3 days.

The girl's target, the spiky, black-haired young man, was the leader of the pack. He stepped forward to greet the beautiful stranger.

"Good afternoon, miss. How can I help you?" he asked with genuine politeness. Something about this pretty was familiar, but he couldn't put his mental finger on it.

"Actually, I've been looking for you. Are you Touji Suzuhara?"

"Yes, I sure am. Who might you be?"

The girl said nothing. Instead, she took her wild brown hair and twisted it into two pigtails. Then, she took off her sunglasses to reveal her dark eyes. It was then that Touji saw two patches of freckles on her cheeks.

"I think you can answer that…" she began. Then, she changed the tone of her voice to sound more formal and official. It was the same tone she had used over four years ago in Class 2-A. She put on an innocent, purely happy face and finished.

"…Suzuhara."

Touji and Kensuke had both been gawking at her from the time she put up her hair. Now, when they realized who this beautiful girl was, they both promptly fainted. The other basketball players, upon seeing their fearless leader collapsed in front of a girl, freaked out and ran as far away from the court as they possibly could.

Hikari Horaki, now a vivacious 18-year-old, stood in the nearly-deserted court, chuckling lightly. _Operation Loverboy has been successfully completed, _she asserted. She bent down to whisper in the closer boy's ear, even though he couldn't hear her.

"We're going to make the cutest couple ever, Touji-kun."


	4. No Place Like Home

**DISCLAIMER, YO**

I do not own _Neon Genesis Evangelion_; Gainax and Hideaki Anno do. I'm just a 16-year-old fanboy from Alaska.

WERD: This is NOT a Shinji/Ritsuko pairing story! You can stop panicking; I'm not _that_ strange. Shinji/Ritsuko even gives me the creeps. Please read and review. Thanks. – C.o.W.

**Chapter 3 – No Place Like Home**

Shinji Ikari rested in his wheelchair, dozing off in front of a television. He wouldn't have to go back to the hospital until tomorrow for a check-up; what a relief! For the first time in an incredibly short four years, he almost felt like he was home. He reflected on his busy day with Ritsuko Akagi.

She had graciously given him the ultimate tour of the hospital, even though he had been in a number of hospital facilities before was pretty confident he knew how they worked. He had had a very nice lunch in the staff cafeteria. Being fed through a tube for four years had left Shinji especially hungry. On their way out, Shinji had told the doctor that he could have given the chefs some hints to improve the flavor of their food. Ritsuko had chuckled nervously but agreed.

It turned out that she was one of the directors of the institution. She also trained doctors in what had become known as "evology": AT fields, LCL, and all of the fascinating things she had uncovered through Angel attacks and synchronization tests. Ritsuko had told him that she was one of those people who always wanted to be on the cutting edge of everything. "I suppose I got that from Mother," she had postulated.

The kind doctor had taken off much of her day to acquaint the boy with Tokyo-2. It was not nearly as advanced as Tokyo-3 had been. For example, the buildings certainly couldn't shrink into the ground. Unfortunately, Shinji couldn't keep his mind off of Misato and Rei. There had been so much he had never been able to tell either of them, and it really depressed him. He just hoped that it wouldn't be the same way with Asuka. She might be the only key to a stable future.

However, he tried to enjoy himself. Ritsuko, a naturally perceptive person, understood his preoccupation with the people he missed so much. Therefore, she was not one to push him into having a good time. She reminded him that it was alright for him to express his feelings and ask questions, provided that they were legal and appropriate.

So, Shinji did his best to have a good time…

* * *

The doctor had changed into a white turtleneck and khakis. They left the hospital for the parking lot and made their way to her car. Shinji had never seen anything like it. It was rather geometric. That is, it lacked the smooth curves of the car Misato had driven. It had an unpainted stainless steel surface. He went to open the passenger's side door, but found out that it wouldn't swing open on a hinge. He struggled, pulling at the side of the door. Ritsuko looked on with some amusement before going to assist the confused boy. She artfully took hold of the bottom of the door and pulled it up, to Shinji's shock. 

"What kind of car is this?" he asked incredulously.

"It's a De Lorean DMC-12. They're pretty expensive these days, but I was saving up for it. These doors here are called 'gull-wing' doors."

"Weird," Shinji mumbled as he pulled himself out of his wheelchair and into the passenger's seat. Ritsuko hefted his wheelchair into the back seat of the car, and climbed in behind the steering wheel. _When Asuka awakes, _she considered, _I will have to get used to lugging those chairs around._

They left the hospital property and entered the city. Shinji looked at the skyscrapers, which were neatly tucked into surrounding mountains. He was somewhere in between slight boredom and severe boredom. Ritsuko rattled off tidbits of information as she drove.

"Before the Second Impact, this city was called Nagano. In 1998, the Winter Olympics were held here. I wanted to go, but Mother said no." Just remembering the fight she'd had about it at the age of thirteen made her feel… bitter again.

"I've heard of the Olympics."

They stopped outside a coffee shop.

"I'm rather thirsty," Ritsuko said somewhat distantly. "Do you need anything?"

"I dunno. I guess I'll have a bagel," Shinji replied. He followed the doctor into the building. _I guess I'll humor her. I just feel… strange and emotional. I have a feeling of some kind of sadness._ He found a small table out in front of the store and parked his wheelchair in front of it. The cool wind felt good on his legs. He had changed into his old clothes, which were tragically small. It was nice to have some air circulating around his "vital parts". He blushed at the thought.

Dr. Akagi walked up to the cash register and purchased a large black coffee (an acceptable substitute for nicotine, she had decided long ago). She also bought a plain bagel. Considering that she had the day off, she chatted with the young woman behind the cash register.

Meanwhile, Shinji had dozed off. He had been unable to fall back to sleep so early this morning. Suddenly, he heard a strange sound among the wind. It seemed to whisper his name. His eyes snapped open. He looked around to the doctor… the shop… the customers… the car. The car! For a split second, he saw something in the car, where he had been sitting. All he had been able to make out was a flash of sky-blue. Shinji, unnerved, reasoned that it was probably a reflection of the Tokyo-2 afternoon sky. He still had his doubts, though, and he was staring at the car when Ritsuko sat down across from him. Following his line of sight, she looked at him with a smirk.

"I am not going to let you drive it."

Snapping out of his misty thoughts, he looked as his feet and then at the doctor.

"Oh! Oh no! That's not it. I just thought I saw something. I guess I'm just tired."

"You're probably right, Shinji-kun," she teased. "Now eat your bagel. You can take a nap when you get home."

She sipped. He ate. There was palpable silence between them.

He finally brought himself to ask the nagging question.

"Um, Ritsuko-san, where is home?" To himself, he hoped that he would not have to move in with her like he had with Misato. The two were vastly different people. Also, it bothered Shinji that at one time, Akagi would have sacrificed him to save his EVA.

"Well, I've bought another room at the apartment complex where the rest of the former NERV staff and I live, except for Kouzou. He works at one of the universities, and he lives on-campus. He visits us every weekend," she replied. _I was wondering when he'd ask._ "I'm afraid you and Asuka will share the apartment."

This would have disappointed Shinji, except for two things. First, he was used to Asuka's abuse, slacking off on chores, and general dependence on him. Second, this would give him a chance to befriend the redhead.

"Okay," he said, nonplussed. Ritsuko thought as much. She knew of his secret love, and of his secret love's warlike tendencies.

By the time he had gotten back into the doctor's car, Shinji was feeling less leery about whatever he'd seen. Sitting in the car, he certainly felt normal. _Maybe it was a bird, _he considered. _My nerves are probably acting on high alert._

"Where to next, Shinji?" Dr. Akagi asked.

"Um, could I get a haircut? I don't like my hair this long," he whined, indicating his extensive brown-black locks. The blonde doctor laughed lightly and agreed.

"You look better without them," she commented, knowing it would make him blush and look away. "It's alright, Shinji. You really should get used to compliments."

Shinji nodded, trying very hard to smile. They pulled up in front of a barbershop and Shinji got his hair cut. He had it done in the exact same style he had always worn it, brushed to the right a bit. He sat in a chair, examining his face in a hand mirror. _This is me, _he thought, _I'm really an adult now._ Shinji paid the barber and returned to the De Lorean, where Dr. Akagi was talking on a cellular phone. When she saw Shinji coming, she hurriedly ended her conversation and greeted him. _He doesn't need to know right now._

"Much better," she told him about his hair.

"Yeah, it's okay. The barber looked at me funny. I think my clothes are too small," he said as he shuffled out of his wheelchair and into the passenger seat. Ritsuko said nothing as she pushed the chair into the back seat.

"Shinji," she said panting, "I'm young, but I can't keep this up. Tomorrow you're going to start walking."

"Okay," Shinji sighed. "My legs are feeling stronger anyway."

"That's good. That is, they should be."

Their ride to the mall was silent. Once out of the car, Shinji felt a lot better. He hadn't been in such a large, open space yet. It was refreshing. The bright displays and various sights and smells lifted his spirits until he didn't have to force himself to smile anymore. He eagerly looked for a clothing shop that sold things he would actually wear. He trundled past a swimwear store as something caught his eye in the shop's window. He backed up to get a closer look. _Could it be?_ he wondered.

Indeed it was. A mannequin was modeling a red-and-white striped two-piece bikini, the exact same product that Asuka had loved and worn, much to Ikari's embarrassment. His eyes glazed over, thinking of those memories. _I don't think I'd respond any differently,_ he thought. Suddenly, Ritsuko put her hand on Shinji's shoulder. It was enough to bring his mind back to the present.

"Let's not get caught up in every little thing, Shinji," she warned. She'd recognized the bikini, too. "You go ahead and get some clothes. I think I'll just sit here."

Shinji solemnly nodded and proceeded to the menswear store he was originally headed for.

As soon as he left, Ritsuko pulled out her cellular phone and dialed the person she had been talking to outside the barbershop. When the other party answered, she whispered into the phone.

"We're at the mall."

"Where is he?" It was the voice of a nurse at the hospital.

"He's in a clothes store. How is Asuka?"

"Fine."

"Have you told her how long it's been?"

"Yes, but she passed it off. She is desperately trying to get out of here as soon as possible. I haven't given her any stimulants yet, but she's already trying to drag herself out of bed."

"I see," Ritsuko said, amused. "I will speak to her later. Take care of her, Kodama."

"Yes, Sempai, I will. Good-bye."

"Good-bye." With that, the doctor pressed a button on her phone and ended the conversation.

Shinji had his waist and inseam measurements taken so he could buy pants that fit. Shinji hadn't had a need for these before. The clerk at the store, to measure Shinji's inseam, asked him to straighten his leg, since he was still in his wheelchair. It was easier than he expected. The strength was in his legs, certainly.

Shinji had an idea as he looked for a nice-looking pair of pants. He brought himself to the edge of his scooter and slowly began to lift himself. He gritted his teeth as he brought himself to stand while gripping a shelf of pants. He breathed heavily as he stood with one hand on the shelf. He could feel his body weight push down on his legs, but he stayed standing. _If I stop, I'll get lazy. I would never live that down if Asuka found out I had failed at trying to walk._ He shuffled his right foot forward, and shifted his weight. Then, he brought his left foot forward. Finally, he moved his hand on the shelf of clothing forward to keep his balance. He was proud. He took a few more assisted steps, and slowly made his way back to his wheelchair, sitting down heavily and panting.

He found some clothes and made his way to the dressing room. After changing into them, he looked at himself in the full-length mirror. A tall, thin young man with spiky, dark brown hair looked back at him. Shinji was appreciative of his appearance. _I think I am… handsome._ For once, he did not blush.

Shinji was wearing a pair of loose blue jeans and a gray long-sleeve shirt. He didn't know how to match colors, but he liked this new look. Leaving the dressing room, he paid for his clothes. He left the store when the doctor wasn't looking, and scooted to the restroom, where he changed for good. He wheeled right in front of Ritsuko, who was a little shocked that he had not bought his usual attire, dark slacks and white t-shirt. She also realized that he was a very good-looking young man. She hadn't considered him anything but a kid until she saw the way he had stroked Asuka's chin. It was the mark of a real gentleman. While she was not attracted to Shinji himself, twinges of loneliness settled in the back of her mind.

"That's a good outfit," she declared, avoiding saying something about how he looked in it.

"Domo arigato," he replied courteously.

"You're welcome, Shinji-kun. Let's take you home," she said with finality. Shinji nodded happily.

* * *

They reached the apartment complex as the sun started to set. Shinji sat and Ritsuko stood in front of the door to his apartment, number 501. 

"Thank you again, Ritsuko-san."

"Of course, Shinji. I understand that you probably feel very different from four years ago."

"Yes, but I think I'm ready to live now," he said. Ritsuko nodded and smiled.

"I've got to wrap up some work at the hospital. Here is your key," she explained, handing Shinji a plastic card.

"Have a good night, get some rest, and I will drop by tomorrow morning to bring you in for your checkup."

"I sure will. Goodnight, doctor." He offered her his hand, and they shook. Then, he let himself into Apartment 501. The door closed in front of Ritsuko, but she stood there a moment, contemplating the new Shinji. She smiled to herself. _He's going to make a fine adult someday._ Without further ado, she walked away. She was on her way to the De Lorean when an apartment door opened behind her. She turned to see Maya Ibuki standing in the entrance to her apartment, number 502.

"How is he?" the younger woman asked, speaking of Shinji.

"He's going to be just fine," Ritsuko responded reassuringly. "How are you this evening, Maya-chan?"

"I'm great!" Maya whispered excitedly. "Did you want to meet me after you get off work?"

"Sure, but I'll be tired."

"I'll make coffee," Maya teased.

"I'll be there."

Maya laughed, and the two good friends parted.

* * *

Shinji's apartment was very clean and well-lit. He parked himself in front of the television, flipped to a cable news channel, and relaxed. He reflected on his day out, until he fell fast asleep. 


	5. Two More Girls!

**DISCLAIMER, YO**

I do not own _Neon Genesis Evangelion_; Gainax and Hideaki Anno do. I'm just a 16-year-old fanboy from Alaska.

WERD: I love parrots and omakes; email them to me :). Please read and review. Thanks. – C.o.W.

**Chapter 4 – Two More Girls!**

Ritsuko Akagi was not returning to the Tokyo-2 hospital for just any work. There was a certain adolescent redhead on the fifth floor who needed a visit. As the blonde doctor exited the express elevator to the desired story, Nurse Kodama Horaki greeted her superior.

"Good evening, sempai," she said.

"Likewise, kōhai," Akagi replied. "How is Miss Soryu?"

"Still rather… volatile, Ritsuko-san. She is quite uncooperative."

"I would imagine she is."

They reached the door. Behind it, they could hear various expletives in English, German, and Japanese. Ritsuko was pretty sure that the harshest curses were not in her first language. Suddenly, there was a crash. Dr. Akagi and Kodama both sweatdropped. Regaining her command, however, Ritsuko opened the door to take the bull by the horns… or neural interface clips, as the case may be. With an air of strength and sophistication, the doctor entered the room.

The fiery young woman sat up in her bed, arms folded in stubbornness.

"It's about time!" Asuka shot. "How much longer am I going to be stuck here? This hospital smells like fish."

Unperturbed, the doctor walked over to the side of the bed and spoke to the girl calmly.

"How are you feeling, Asuka?"

"Pissed." Ritsuko would have laughed at this, if there wasn't a chance that she might be choked to death.

"Well, you certainly look healthy."

"Damned straight, except for my legs," the girl complained. She mockingly asked "Wouldn't you mind fixing them, doc?"

"If I pumped stimulants into your legs, and you tried to stand, you would almost certainly collapse under your own weight."

"Are you suggesting I'm some sort of cow? Well, you're no Cindy Crawford yourself." Asuka was really beginning to grind on Ritsuko's nerves.

"I'm suggesting that after four years of being on your back, your legs are out of shape."

"After all the NERV training I've had, that sounds really pathetic. So much for your science. Now, I want out of h—"

Slap! Silence descended on the hospital as Asuka hesitantly took her cue to shut up. She sulked on the bed as Ritsuko looked on the girl with disdain. The doctor returned her hand to a pocket of her lab coat. Kodama looked around nervously. _Ritsuko's never done that before. That girl must be pretty brave… or pretty stupid._

"You will need to use a wheelchair for a few days while your legs regain their strength. You will also report here every day for checkups and some light physical therapy," the doctor said smugly. Asuka replied with nothing more than a low grunt of acceptance.

"I bet Wondergirl can walk just fine," Asuka muttered, but just high enough for the doctor to hear her.

"Actually," Ritsuko said with a smirk, "You will be happy to know that you'll never have to 'put up' with Rei ever again."

"Did she finally jump off the bridge when the Commander told her to?"

"No, I can't say she did."

"Well, what are you talking about, then?"

"Rei Ayanami died almost three months after you entered a coma, Soryu."

Again, silence reigned as Asuka sat upright, her eyes wide with shock. _The doll is dead. I d-don't believe it. It's no fair! Deep down, I… I wanted to be her friend, but I pushed her away, just like everyone else. What is wrong with me? Why did this have to happen?_

"Yes," Ritsuko said, nearly answering her thoughts, "I thought that might stir you."

For the remainder of the doctor's visit, Asuka stayed silent. The one person that she had wanted to befriend was gone forever. From time to time, Akagi said a few things that the girl digested slowly. Third Impact… failed. The nutcase of a commander had been killed in cold blood. Hikari… moved away. Would she even recognize her? Kaji was… still dead. Misato was… dead, too. This hit her as hard as the news of Rei's death. Misato had been like a big sister, sometimes a friend, and sometimes an enemy of sorts. Asuka had sometimes had considered Major Katsuragi a weak person, but weak in a different way than Shinji Ikari. Now, she realized that Misato had been a fun-loving, caring, and kind person.

Finally, Ritsuko brought Soryu's wheelchair to the side of her bed.

"It's time to go, Asuka," she said quietly.

Fighting back tears, Asuka nodded slowly. She didn't want to go to the apartment, where **he** was. She would never forgive him for what he done to her all those years ago. He was a spineless, vile creature with the IQ of pond scum. Nevertheless, she had somewhat lost the will to argue with the doctor.

* * *

Shinji awoke from his nap. Glancing at the clock above the television, he saw that it was almost 9:00 PM. He stretched as best he could. Then, he bent over and massaged his calves. Shinji could tell that they were quickly regaining strength. After finishing, he surveyed the apartment. To his dismay, there was only one bedroom. _If Asuka does move in, I'll be sleeping on the couch for the rest of my life._ He made his way to the kitchen. He opened the fridge. He was surprised not to find shelves of cans of Yebisu. Shinji sighed heavily. He was inspecting the stove and cooking utensils when a trio of knocks on the front door sounded throughout the apartment. As quickly as he could, he scooted to the front of the apartment and opened the door to 501. The man who stood there looked familiar. He had short black hair that was combed back neatly. He wore eyeglasses and an old-fashioned professor's jacket, complete with leather elbow patches. Shinji had to stop himself from laughing. 

"Good evening, Mr. Ikari. Is this a bad time?" The man's voice confirmed Shinji's thoughts.

"Not at all, 2nd Lieutenant Hyuuga. Do come in," Shinji offered warmly.

Makoto laughed softly and stepped into the apartment. "It's okay, Shinji. I'm not a lieutenant anymore."

"I see," Shinji said thoughtfully, "So then, what have you been up to for the last four years?"

"Well, I'm a professor of computer sciences at one of the local universities."

"Do you always wear that outfit?" Shinji teased lightly.

"Aw, no! I borrowed it from Kouzou. He's the dean."

"Wow! That must be a change from number two all the time, huh?"

"Well, I suppose. He hardly ever talks about his days at NERV anymore. It's in the past."

"I guess you're right about that. So what are you here for, Mr. Hyuuga?" Shinji hadn't known Makoto very well, but he'd liked the man. Makoto was clever and caring. He had had a huge crush on Misato. _I'd better not bring it up, _Shinji thought carefully as he led Hyuuga to the kitchen table. He indicated one of the chairs and offered Makoto a seat.

"Domo, Shinji," Makoto said. "Well, Ritsuko-san called me earlier and told me you were… back, for lack of a better term. I guess you know by now that you've missed four years of school."

It really hadn't occurred to Shinji, and his face showed it. Makoto smiled and said, "Well, that's alright. The important thing is that you learn what you haven't had a chance to yet. I'm going to be your tutor!" Makoto declared.

"Thanks for taking so much time out of your schedule to do this, Makoto," Shinji offered.

"Don't worry about it, Shinji," the older man reassured. "It's just going to be evenings, anyway, and I don't have a whole lot to do then anyways."

"Will you be tutoring Asuka, too?" Shinji asked. _She might not be too keen on the idea._

"I'll try, that's for sure! I hear she's pretty feisty, eh?" Makoto winked, causing Shinji to blush and sweatdrop.

"Well, I—um, Asuka is, uh, emotional," Shinji stammered. Hyuuga chuckled.

"Anyway," said the man, "It'll take about a year for you to get caught up with your contemporaries, if you will. I've condensed four years of curriculum into one."

"That's good," Shinji replied. It was the only thing he could think of to say.

They reviewed the lesson plan: Math, Literature/Language, History/Social Studies, and Sciences. It was a good schedule, Shinji decided, and a good way to keep his mind off of less pleasant things, namely his future roommate. Finally, at around 10:15, Makoto closed up his files.

"I think this will be good, Shinji. You seem to be eager to learn, and I'm always eager to teach. As soon as Miss Soryu returns I guess we can—"

He was cut off by a series of fierce raps on the door.

"Pardon me, sensei," Shinji excused himself from the table.

"Open up, Third Child!" The voice was clearly Asuka's. Shinji smiled inwardly as he wheeled to the door. He opened it as he backed up as quickly as he could; he was preparing for a more human version of a red stock car to barrel into Apartment 501. He was right. She drove her electric wheelchair into the apartment like Misato had driven her old car. Asuka's head frantically flew to and fro until she spied the open bedroom door. Immediately, she careened into the lone bedroom, slid the door shut, and barricaded herself in, exerting an absurd amount of force. As she moved, she pondered the said Child. _I can't believe him! He defiles me and then thinks he can paw at me like a god-damned dog. He must pay._ At the same time, another part of her mind was having different thoughts. _Stop it! Why can't you forgive him? Are you just going to repel him as usual? You're ruining lives like this._ She was torn between being the person she wanted to be and being the person everybody else saw her as.

"Goodnight, weirdoes!" she cried out. _I have planning to do, _she thought to herself. Her less forgiving side had taken precedence. _I'm going to make that retarded little hentai sorry he ever lived._ Then, only silence emanated from the room. Doctor Akagi walked into the apartment.

"The Second Child is arrived," she said coolly. Addressing Makoto and Shinji, she said "Good night, gentlemen." With that, she closed the door.

Shinji and Professor Hyuuga sat in silence. For what seemed like a very long time, neither of them moved. Then, Makoto quietly stood up. He mumbled a goodnight to Shinji and left.

"'Night, sensei," Shinji murmured, almost unheard. The door closed and Shinji put his head in this hands. Life was becoming more and more… intriguing.

* * *

And it was to be even more so, as a girl with short, straight burgundy hair and light blue eyes sitting on top of her suitcase outside of Apartment 502 saw the redhead in a wheelchair zoom into the residence next door. She giggled to herself as she sipped an iced tea and watched the starry night cradle Tokyo-2. Suddenly, she felt somebody standing over her. 

"Excuse me." It was the blonde woman in a spotless white lab coat who had escorted the boisterous girl home. The girl realized that her long, silky legs were blocking the woman's path.

"Gomen," she said politely as she folded her legs in.

"Thank you," the woman responded. She had walked a few steps away when she turned around and addressed the girl.

"Are you new here?"

"Why, yes, I am. Thank you for asking. Do you live here?"

"Yes, at the end of the hall," Ritsuko said, casually pointing in the opposite direction she was headed.

"I see."

"How old are you, if I may ask?"

"I turned 18 a few weeks ago."

"That's nice."

"Domo. I've come to Tokyo-2 to study computer sciences at the university."

"You'll like Professor Hyuuga."

"You know him?"

"I worked with him a few years ago."

"Oh, yeah! Wasn't he in that secret government organization?"

"Yes, but it's not so secret anymore." Akagi smirked.

"I guess you're right, Miss…?"

"Akagi, Dr. Ritsuko Akagi."

"Right, Dr. Akagi."

"And you would be?"

"Mana Kirishima, at your service."

"That's a very pretty name, Mana. Well, I've got to get going. I'll see you around, then. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, doctor." Mana smiled and waved. Ritsuko returned a small wave and continued to walk away. Suddenly, the girl spoke up.

"Oh, Ms. Akagi?"

Ritsuko turned around. "Yes, Mana?"

"Was that your daughter in the wheelchair?"

Ritsuko smirked. "Never in a million years. I'll introduce you two tomorrow."

"That'd be great! I could really use some friends."

"I think you and Asuka will be good friends. Goodbye."

"Bye." Mana returned to her thoughts as the doctor returned to her car. _Asuka is a pretty name._ With that, Kirishima stood up and picked up her suitcase. She tossed her can of iced tea in a trash can and let herself into her apartment. She was enjoying Tokyo-2 already.

Meanwhile, Ritsuko drove back to the hospital. _Just great, Asuka has a boyfriend and a new best friend, and she doesn't know any of it yet._

A/N: I didn't like Mana at first, when she was in the video game, because she didn't mesh with the EVA storyline. The only substitute was an alternate universe. Then again, this whole story is an AU. Toodles! – C.o.W.


	6. New Friends, Old Friends

**DISCLAIMER, YO**

I do not own _Neon Genesis Evangelion_; Gainax and Hideaki Anno do. I'm just a 16-year-old fanboy from Alaska.

Please read and review. Thanks. – C.o.W.

**Chapter 5 – New Friends, Old Friends**

Asuka Langley was wide awake before daybreak. She loved to watch the sun come up. The power and majesty in the morning ritual was inspiring. As quietly as she could, the redhead let herself out of the bedroom. She scooted past the sleeping Third Child, prostrate on the couch as one of the firebrands on FOX News went on a monotonous rant against latex, of all things.

Asuka leaned over the boy, looking at him with some disdain. _I wouldn't be surprised if he had hands in his pants again._ She was surprised to see that his SDAT was gone, and replaced with a silver Sony Discman. A compact disc whirred in the player. The girl was plagued with curiosity. Figuring that he wasn't listening to it, she reached over him and pushed the "stop" button. The disc whined until it became silent. Asuka pressed the release, and the CD player's top popped up, allowing the girl to quickly grab the disc. She expected to find Shinji's usual fare, Bach or Chopin, but this surprised her. It was a 1985 album from a pre-Second Impact pop band, Tears for Fears. She'd heard of them in Germany, and their music wasn't too bad. _I wonder where he got this. He probably nicked it off some poor schmuck. I'll have to interrogate him, heh-heh._

Replacing the CD, she took herself to the fridge. Like the boy, she also expected to see to see rows of "yellow gold"—sake. She sighed, and dug around until she pulled out a can of tea. Asuka peered out the window. If she didn't hurry up, she'd miss the show! She hauled herself out of the apartment and parked herself in front of the front door. She had neglected to take a key, since she could easily and mercilessly pound on the door until she woke up Shinji to let her in.

The sun rose. The sky displayed its magnificent color show, from blue to pink to orange. Finally, the first buttery tendrils of sunshine snaked over the horizon and warmed her body. She took a pair of red sunglasses from her pocket and gently placed them on her face. She popped open her tea and quaffed down the entire thing. Then, she aimed at a garbage can and expertly bucketed the piece of trash. As the pure sunshine flowed over the young woman's slender body, she became very relaxed and easily dozed off, her shades shifting to an odd angle as her head rested against her left shoulder.

A little over an hour passed when Asuka felt her precious sunshine being blocked.

"Ugh, not now, baka-Shinji!" she whined. "I'll go the hospital when I want to go. Ritsuko never gave me a time I had to be there, so there. Besides, Child, I think your shadow is a new form of pollution, eh?"

Instead of Shinji's usual timid apology, a soft female voice asked, "Who is Shinji?"

Asuka's eyes flew open. The sun behind the girl hid her features, leaving a silhouette that looked scarily like the late Rei Ayanami: short hair, a petite face and body. "Gah!" Asuka sputtered. Quickly, she backed up in her wheelchair to see who the girl really was. She had reddish hair and light blue eyes.

"Oh, it's just you," Asuka said, bored.

Mana Kirishima was confused. "I'm sorry?"

"Oh, wait. Who the hell are you?" Asuka said in the exact indifferent demeanor of one Bart Simpson.

"I'm Mana Kirishima, your next-door neighbor." Mana extended her hand.

"Bah, I'm busy trying to get a tan here," Asuka rebuffed. Mana, however would not be pushed aside. She simply stood where she was with her hand outstretched. Asuka rolled her tongue around in her mouth, pondering. _Oh, what the hell. She can't be any worse than Shinji. Then again, that's not saying much._

"You're persistent," Asuka offered. "I like that." The two girls shook hands.

"Ritsuko said she'd introduce us, but I saw you outside when I woke up this morning and I thought I'd introduce myself."

"How do you know Ritsuko?"

"I met her last night, when I was outside my apartment. She's pretty nice."

"Yeah, yeah. She's softened up since I first met her," Asuka explained.

Mana chuckled. "I hear your name is Asuka."

"Yes, I am Asuka Langley Soryu."

"Langley?" Mana stumbled over the foreign name.

"I'm half German; it's where I got my obvious beauty," Asuka said, examining herself appreciatively.

In the back of her mind, Mana rolled her eyes. "That's nice," she said, as genuinely as possible.

Any further conversation between the two was curtailed by a car driving into the parking lot and stopping front of them. It was a cherry-red convertible.

**The Previous Day**

Touji Suzuhara awoke sitting beside a cherry-red convertible. He opened his eyes to see Hikari Horaki kneeling looking back at him.

"C-Class Rep?" he asked, dazed.

"Not anymore, Touji-kun," she explained. "Please call me Hikari now."

"What… happened to you?"

"What do you mean? Did you think I would just stay shy and quiet forever, hiding my feelings?"

"Well, no, but why did you track me down like this?"

"Because I love you, Touji. I've loved you since the first day I saw you, the first day in Class 2-A."

"I… I didn't know."

"I know you didn't know! I tried so many times to open up to you, but I couldn't bring myself to do it, and I didn't know why! I still don't know."

"But Hikari, you don't live near me."

"It doesn't matter. I'm going to the university around here. Aren't you?"

"Well, I wasn't planning on it, actually. I know Kensuke wants to learn computer sciences, so he'll go."

"And what are you going to do, cook ramen for the rest of your life?" This hit Touji hard.

"Never! I'll show you; I'll go to college!" Touji asserted willfully.

"You're on, Suzuhara!"

"Now what, Hikari?"

Silence. Finally, Hikari spoke. "I'm moving to Tokyo-2. Classes start up in the fall, and I need to be settled by then. Tomorrow, I'm going to look for an apartment."

"Please, Hikari, let me come."

"You're serious." It was not a question. Hikari was amazed that Touji had done this for her.

"I'm dead serious. I've come to realize how much you love me. I've never been loved like that, so I… want to return the favor."

Suddenly, Hikari leaned forward and kissed the young man. They stood up and embraced. Hikari had never felt so happy in her entire life.

"One more thing, Touji-kun," she whispered as she looked into his eyes.

"What's that, Hikari-kun?"

"Let's be sure we get different apartments, so they don't have to use industrial solvent to separate us."

"Sure thing, love. I guess I'll take Kensuke as my roommate."

Instead of responding, Hikari initiated another kiss, and Touji gladly seconded that motion.

**The Next Day**

Asuka barely recognized the Hikari Horaki who stood in front of her. She was beautiful and outgoing. The Hikari that Asuka remembered was shy and plain.

"It's been a very long time, Asuka," Hikari said, stepping forward.

"Indeed it has, Hikari." The two girls exchanged a quick hug, Hikari bending forward to hug her best friend. Mana stood to the side, feeling a tad out of place. Asuka glanced at the handsome young man in the passenger seat.

"And who have we here?" she said, scooting over to Touji. She hadn't recognized him yet. She gave him a studious once-over. If he'd been wearing a ponytail, he could have passed as a young Ryouji Kaji. Hikari walked up to Asuka's side. "That would be Touji Suzuhara, Asuka-chan." The redhead's jaw fell open and she colored quickly.

"What are doing in the same car as h—oh wait, you two are going together? Ay yi yi," Asuka whined.

"Yes, dear, we are, in fact, 'going together'."

"Well, if that's what floats your boat, Hikari-chan," Asuka said, now looking at the boy with thinly-veiled disapproval. Touji rolled his eyes, which sparked Asuka's fuse. She was about to dig into him when Hikari cleared her throat.

"**Ahem!** Who is that, Asuka?" she was pointing to Mana, quietly leaning against the door of Apartment 501. Suddenly, that very door opened, and Mana Kirishima fell backward, straight into Shinji Ikari's lap.


	7. The Girl from 502

**DISCLAIMER, YO**

I do not own _Neon Genesis Evangelion_; Gainax and Hideaki Anno do. I'm just a 16-year-old fanboy from Alaska.

Just a quick note: Mana loses her temper here. Somewhat OOC, please forgive me. Please read and review. Thanks. – C.o.W.

**Chapter 6 – The Girl from 502**

Shinji Ikari peeked through the window. He could see Asuka talking to two other people around his age, but he didn't know what they were saying. He wanted to meet them. _The only person my age I know now is Asuka, and she hates my guts._ He had no idea that they were his old classmates. Likewise, he had no idea that a third person was leaning against the door to his apartment.

Shinji went into bathroom. He washed his face and brushed his teeth. He was deep in thoughts about many things, particularly Asuka, and his eyes looked at the bathroom mirror but he was mentally zoning out. It was then that he saw it again, behind him, as a reflection in the mirror: a flash of sky blue. Shocked, he turned around. Only the blank white wall stood there, unchanging. Shinji turned back to the mirror to see if there had been something on it, but it was clean. The hairs on his arms and the back of his neck stood on end. _What's going on?_ his mind asked, nearly in panic. _I feel… watched. _In fear, he scooted out of the bathroom as quickly. He furiously changed his clothes. He made his way to the kitchen. Quickly, he made a piece of toast and munched on it as he swigged down a glass of orange juice. Shinji finished cleaning and straightening. Something here was not right. He needed to get out of this place… soon. The boy made his way to the front door and opened it succinctly. Altogether, he was not accustomed to having young women fall right on top of him first thing in the morning.

A very thick silence gripped the cloistered area in front of the ground-level apartments. Asuka stood with the young couple, watching Mana Kirishima get up off of Shinji.

"I-I'm s-s-so s-sorry, miss," Shinji stuttered. _She's very… pretty._ Indeed she was. Mana wore a beautiful lacy white sundress and a large white hat accented by a pink silk bow.

"Why, thank you," Mana replied, amused. _This boy is very cute, but he's shy; he just seems so detached from everyone else. Could this be… the Shinji that Asuka mentioned? She made him sound… bad. Then again, she is a bit judgmental._

Mana realized that she had finished straightening herself up and was now quite plainly staring at Shinji, whose face was a bright red. _I don't think a pretty girl has ever paid so much positive attention to me,_ he mused.

Asuka strode over to Mana and spoke up loudly.

"Mana, dear, don't get mixed up with the likes of baka-Shinji! He's a horrible pervert!"

"Why do you say that, Asuka?" This could the emotional redhead off-guard. _Ack! This dumb girl is intruding on my life!_

"Never you mind! Just get away from Shinji!"

Mana was seriously put off. _What is this girl's problem? I'm getting fed up with her attitude._ Mana decided to say something she might regret. "Why? So you can have him all to yourself?"

Slap!

"**Get away from me, you slut!**"

Slap! Slap! Asuka was nursing two red hand-shaped welts she had just received from Hikari and Mana. Screaming in frustration, she headed for Apartment 501, where Shinji sat in the doorway, watching the catfight. He rammed his wheelchair backward as she stormed back to her bedroom. It made him feel so guilty. The memory of what he had done to Asuka was haunting him. He didn't want to let the pretty new girl find out. It wasn't that he liked her any more than Asuka; he just thought that another person knowing would make it worse. The girl by the red sports car and the young man sitting in the car had seen the spat as well. They'd ask him questions, questions he didn't want to answer. He didn't think that he could deal with that kind of stress. Shinji brought himself back to the present. He turned to the three teens still outside. The red-haired girl was sobbing. The brunette was fighting back tears as well. Shinji heard the boy in the car speak to her.

"It's okay, Hikari-kun."

_Hikari! _Shinji's mind cried out. He scooted forward to the girl.

"Are… are you Hikari Horaki?"

Between sniffles, the girl answered. "Yes, of course I am." Shinji was surprised to see how she had changed. She was taller, and her figure had filled out somewhat. Shinji turned to the boy in the car. Their minds made the same realization.

"Shinji."

"Touji." Had the circumstances been better, they would have shaken hands, at least. Shinji excused himself and brought himself to face the cute girl in the white dress.

"E-excuse me?"

Mana looked up. She'd stopped crying, and was sitting dejectedly against a wooden post. _Why did I do it? Now Asuka hates me._

"Shinji?"

"Yes."

"What happened?"

"Huh?"

Mana now stood to face Shinji, which was not so easy, with the boy in a wheelchair.

"What happened to make Asuka hate you?"

Shinji's face fell. Abandoning all emotion, he leaned forward. At first, Mana thought he was going to kiss her until he reached the level of her ear. He quietly told of her how he had… acted as he had stood Asuka's bare body. Mana's eyes grew wide. She was unsure of how to feel, how to act. Shinji hung his head in total shame. Tears fell off of his face silently. Mana looked at him critically. It was clear that he was remorseful.

"I think I should go," was all she said. Mana returned to her apartment.

Hikari and Touji had not been able to hear what Shinji had said, but it must have been ghastly to make Mana leave like she had. Hikari called over to Shinji.

"Shinji, we're really sorry. We don't want to bother you right now. Goodbye."

The red convertible left slowly. Soon, Shinji was left all alone in the early morning sun. _I have nobody now. I am no longer worth anything to anybody. It is time for me to leave. I must seek out… a new life._

Shinji went inside. He dug through the books that Makoto had given him until he came across a map of the world. Shinji Ikari closed his eyes and lifted his index finger. He brought it back down to rest on a particular place on the map. He opened his eyes tentatively. He had never heard of his destination, but it didn't matter.


	8. Behind Blue Eyes

**DISCLAIMER, YO**

I do not own _Neon Genesis Evangelion_; Gainax and Hideaki Anno do. I'm just a 16-year-old fanboy from Alaska.

I apologize if the last chapter was confusing. You have to understand that a confrontation like what happened was inevitable. I introduced Mana to make up for the fact that two major characters, Misato and Rei, are not present. Please read and review. Thanks. – C.o.W.

**Chapter 7 – Behind Blue Eyes**

Shinji Ikari had been absent for four months. He left no note. A police search of Tokyo-2 had proven useless. The disappearance brought incredible stress on everyone who had known him. Some, such as Ritsuko Akagi, worried about his health. Some, such as Mana Kirishima, missed him. Some, such as Asuka Soryu, loved him. In a way, Shinji had done this to get their attention. He had done many things in his life for recognition and attention. While he knew it was selfish, he reasoned that all people seek to gain acceptance by others.

Life moved on, however. There was no way it couldn't. The people around Shinji Ikari reasoned that he was far too… hopeful to do anything to get himself.

Touji, Hikari, and Kensuke moved into the apartment complex. Asuka regained the ability to walk, but she was rarely seen. Her life became tormented by her internal conflicting opinions of Shinji. She wanted to forgive him, but she was far too proud. Shinji had never done anything that had truly meant something to her. He had saved her life a few times, but she had repaid him… or had she? Mana became somewhat reclusive as well. Both girls were stricken with guilt. Mana felt bad for giving the boy a cold shoulder. Asuka's thunder faded when she realized that her inability to forgive Shinji had cost her a friend. School started up again. Touji, Hikari, Kensuke, and Mana attended the university where Kouzou Fuyutsuki was dean. Makoto Hyuuga tutored Asuka, mostly in kanji, which she still had trouble with. There simply seemed to be a very large hole in everyone's lives. Perhaps Shinji's kindness, his open-mindedness, or his gentle smile, was enough to draw people's attentions.

It was mid-November. Rain washed the buildings of Tokyo-2 somberly, as if it were apologizing. Japan was experiencing the coldest autumn since before the Second Impact. "It was an event that ruined some climes and changed others, including ours. It is most likely that nature is returning to equilibrium," Ritsuko had postulated.

* * *

Across the Pacific Ocean, rain also drenched the western coast of North America. It was in a small town in the American Northwest that Shinji now lived, alone in a miserable apartment that made Misato's old place in Tokyo-3 look like a mansion. Shinji had gotten a job as a library assistant. It was a relieving, stress-free job, despite the government-allotted pittance he received every month. Shinji was able to drastically improve his English and teach himself some of what he would have in high school. By this time, he had read scores of books. He also learned to walk again, which was quite gratifying. To keep up his fitness, he went on hikes. The town was especially rural, surrounded by misty, green mountains. When he went on a hike, he thought about his real home in Tokyo-2. He thought about Asuka a lot. After being in the town for three days, he saw something in a shop window that he realized would make an interesting gift for Asuka. He wasn't sure why he thought a gift would be appropriate, but something told him that Asuka would recognize, if not appreciate, it. 

Sometimes, he felt genuinely happy. Other times, he was forced to swallow searing bouts of depression. He had nobody to care for other than himself. However, there was nobody to care for him, about him. He came to realize that he was often rather bipolar, either high on life or down in the dumps. This wore on him over time. It was around the exact four-month point that he realized that whether he was happy or not here, he was wasting his life. It had not occurred to him yet. How long would he play the martyr in the middle of nowhere? How long would he make others suffer for some stupid harebrained scheme of his?

"I can't keep this up," Shinji whispered to himself one rainy morning as he lay on his musty old bed. Getting up, he dragged himself to his suitcase, where he kept the rest of the money he had taken out of his bank account; Shinji had enough for a single plane ticket home. _My real home, _he considered. He took the public bus to the library, where he approached the head librarian, an older white man named Abe. Abe appreciated the hard work and persistent decent attitude of the soft-spoken young Japanese man. It was the kind of person that the States were lacking these days.

"Good morning, Abe," Shinji said distantly. "Can I talk to you in private?"

"Ayuh, sure. Just let's come to my office." Shinji followed the man to the poorly-lit back office.

"What's up, Mr. Ikari?" Shinji had always been amused that the Yankee head librarian pronounced his last name so that it rhymed with 'hickory'.

"It's time for me to leave." The most that he had ever told his employer was that he was on vacation, which the worldly Abe had personally refuted. Ikari was a stoic teenager who had left something behind in Japan, probably something unpleasant. _Perhaps, _the older man reasoned, _he must now come to terms with his past. It is a noble thing to do._

"Ah, yes, I see. You are resigning then?"

"Yes, sir, I am. Thank you for the opportunity you've given me."

"Thank you for saying 'thank you'." This always drew a slight smile from the teen.

Without a whole lot more to say, the two men shook hands and exchanged modest goodbyes. Shinji made his way to his desk, where he put his own books, pencils, etc., into a duffel bag. With one last sweeping look over the shelves of books and bright murals, Shinji left the small-town library for the last time. The soft blue, kindly eyes of its keeper rested on Shinji as he made his way through the heavy glass front door.

The rain, as it was accustomed to doing in this region, fell to kiss the ground in large, clean drops. Shinji didn't need an umbrella; he enjoyed the pelting on his head; it was purifying. Besides, the tourists were the only ones in these parts that seriously used umbrellas. He had his suitcase outside the library. He picked it up and walked to the nearest bus stop. The tiny glass enclosure was grossly dirty and defaced, but this, like so much else, failed to faze the boy. He boarded the first bus destined for the grand west coast city of Seattle. Soon enough, the bus dropped him off outside the massive SeaTac complex. He bought a ticket to Tokyo-2 and waited for his plane. Within a matter of hours, he was in the sky, returning to the Land of the Rising Sun.

* * *

Shinji Ikari placed his lone suitcase in the airplane's bulkhead before flopping into his seat. The man next to him had dark, unkempt hair and rugged good looks; he looked to be in his earlies forties. His dark eyes carried a lively glint to them. The most surprising feature of the older man was a pair of dark gray muttonchops and a small handlebar moustache. _Heh, _Shinji thought, _he reminds me of Kaji, without the facial hair, of course. Then again, Kaji always wore that silly beard stubble._

"Hello," the man said quietly.

"Good evening," Shinji replied.

The older man took a moment to scan the boy. He was lanky, with a boyish face and dark brown hair.

Their plane was headed directly for the Tokyo-2 airport. The older man said, "Are you going to Toyko-2?"

"Yes," Shinji replied, "I took… an extended vacation, you might say. What about you?"

"I'm also headed there. There are some old friends I need to catch up with; I've not seen them in years." The older man's eyes took on a misty look of wistfulness.

"You miss them?" Shinji asked sympathetically.

"I do, very much."

Shinji nodded in agreement. He had friends that he needed to catch up with, too.

"So," Shinji said, "Have you been living in Seattle?"

"No, actually. I've been a real-life world-class drifter since I left Japan."

"When did you leave?"

"A while before that big scuffle in Tokyo-3, where I was living. And you?" Shinji realized that the man had probably moved out along with Touji and his classmates.

"I've been living in Tokyo-2 for the last four years. I left four months ago for the states. I guess… I guess I needed to find myself."

There was something dark in the boy's eyes. Something very personal must have happened to make him flee a city as safe as Tokyo-2.

Meanwhile, Shinji had his thoughts on a package he had mailed three weeks before he had left the states. It was a gift, but not just any gift. It was a handmade Black Forest cuckoo clock. Shinji had saved up three weeks of pay to acquire the sturdy piece. There was only one person Shinji knew that could appreciate such a gift. He wondered if it had reached Apartment 501 yet…

**Several Hours Later**

The storm clouds hung over Tokyo-2. Asuka Langley Soryu was dozing off on the couch, watching a soap opera. Apartment 501 was a mess. Food and candy wrappers, crumpled papers full of lines of imperfect kanji, and articles of clothing of various degrees of cleanliness were strewn about haphazardly. Unfortunately, Asuka felt that she was "above" menial housework. Whenever Makoto came over to tutor her, she'd kick aside the garbage so he could walk to the table. More recently, he'd been having her over at his apartment to study, since he was offended by the mess. It was too much like the dorms at the university. He would shiver at the thought. They went to his place as quickly as they could, to avoid looking like a couple. The rumors would most certainly be grisly.

Asuka couldn't wait to have a certain tall, dark stranger (or, more accurately, a meek, apologetic stranger) clean up this pigsty. But for now, she was content to pig out and stare at the boob tube all day. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. It was the delivery man, and it wasn't too often that Apartment 501 received packages. Interested, Asuka got up and waded over to the door. She was wearing a black-and-orange t-shirt and a short jean skirt.

Asuka opened the door slowly. It was a medium-sized package; she easily lifted it up and brought it in. The address was correct, but here was no return address. Instead, there was a cryptic message in the upper left corner of the top of the box:

_From Your Admirer_

This made her blush. At first she thought it might be Shinji, but the angry anti-Shinji part of her scolded herself. _He's too stuck up to do anything for you!_ Excitedly, Asuka found a box cutter and quickly opened the package. She was stunned. What was inside made her eyes water. A tear fell from her face and hit the polished wood surface of a beautiful cuckoo clock.

She remembered the clocks like this, in Germany. Her mother had owned one, heavy, dark, and loud. Asuka had never been afraid of it. Instead, she had remembered it as a symbol, a symbol of patience and calmness that would, eventually, burst forth with happiness and joy. She needed happiness and joy. It was all she had ever wanted in her life. She had tried so hard to find happiness herself, when she could have let it come to her. Instead, she had rejected other's happiness. She had thought it was a sign of weakness, not finding one's own feelings. Asuka had never realized that sometimes, people lock themselves up in their independence, and thus never find happiness. She realized now that one person in particular wanted to give her this happiness, and she had rejected him.

Only that one person could have sent this, but who knew where he had vanished to?

The front door was still open. A shadow fell over Asuka and the gift. It was Mana Kirishima. The two had not spoken a single word since their spat. Slowly, Asuka looked up at the other girl with tears glistening in her sapphire-blue eyes. Seeing their wet sparkle, Mana gasped, and her eyes widened. Again, she didn't know whether to comfort Asuka or leave her to her own thoughts, her own feelings. She didn't have to make a decision, however, as Asuka stood and approached her. Mana, although afraid of what might happen, couldn't find the ability to back up. She stood completely still as Soryu clasped her hands around the other girl. They embraced as friends again.

"I am… loved," Asuka whispered, amazed.

"I-I am sorry," Mana said softly.

"I am sorry, too."

They continued their hug for a moment longer, until a male voice in the parking lot cleared its throat. The girls opened their eyes and looked up.

Now it was Asuka's turn to gasp. She stepped forward to embrace the young man, who held his lone suitcase. Her love… was home.


	9. A Day to Remember

**DISCLAIMER, YO**

I do not own _Neon Genesis Evangelion_; Gainax and Hideaki Anno do. I'm just a 16-year-old fanboy from Alaska.

Please read and review. Thanks. – C.o.W.

NOTE: I changed the ending; thanks to dennisud for the help! –C.o.W.

**Chapter 8 – A Day to Remember**

Mana Kirishima stood outside Apartment 501 in the gathering twilight. There was a strange feeling deep within her mind, a feeling she could not yet identify. She simply watched Asuka Langley Soryu, the fierce girl next door, embrace the handsome young man that had lived with her and just returned from parts unknown. It had been four months, and Mana had passed off Shinji Ikari's nearly historic act as a confused young boy's wrong decision. She was afraid that he had forgotten her, the girl with the bright red hair. _He does not even know my name,_ she mused, depressed. _What a horrible way to begin a friendship._

After an eternity of warmth, Shinji was beginning to feel nervous against Asuka's warm body.

"A-Asuka, I want to go inside," he said softly. Quickly, the redhead backed off.

"Yes, go right on in," she said simply.

Shinji approached the interior of his home. His face fell. It was as if Hell itself had frozen over and then leaked into a small apartment in Toyko-2. Asuka looked after him nervously.

Shinji Ikari was about to step into the apartment when a slender hand gripped his left arm. He turned to see the strange girl who he had encountered nearly five months ago. It was Mana.

"You," he said softly. Asuka walked up to him and looked back and forth between him and Mana.

"Well, introduce yourselves already!" she snapped.

Sheepishly, Shinji Ikari told the burgundy-haired girl his name. She smiled and said, "I am Mana Kirishima."

Shinji smiled, which caused a similar reaction in Mana.

"Good!" Asuka blurted out, "That's over with. Now, let's all three take care of this mess."

Shinji and Mana, even though they had done nothing to create the disaster that was Apartment 501. As she cleaned, Mana stole longing glances at Shinji. To her dismay, he was stealing longing glances at Soryu. Mana's inner voice growled. She was afraid that she was feeling… jealous at the pair. With strength, however, she tried to suppress the ill will she felt against the German girl.

Operation 501, as Asuka had dubbed it, took about three hours. By the time Mana, Shinji, and Asuka had finished, it was dark out. The three young adults sat on the couch, watching television or chatting. Mana and Shinji talked lightly about America. It turned out that she had lived there as well, but not in the Northwest. Instead, she had spent the latter half of her childhood in New York City. As they talked, Mana became happier and happier with his company. She supposed that she loved him. Asuka saw the two out the corner of her eye, but she was pretty sure that she had already bagged Ikari. The clock above the television read 9:00 PM. Asuka looked at it with amusement.

"Unless I'm mistaken, Professor Hyuuga should be here any s—"

As if on cue, the doorbell rang. Asuka, bored with the television got up to get the door. She opened it quickly. Instead of it being her sensei, it was a different man. If Asuka Langley Soryu had been a cartoon character, her eyes would surely have turned into comically throbbing hearts. She shrieked the man's last name, along with an honorific.

"**KAJI-SAMA!**"

Shinji jumped up with an incredulous shout of "No way!" He ran to the doorway, where Asuka had latched onto none other than Ryouji Kaji. He looked nearly unchanged after four years, except for the fact that he was wearing large sideburns on his face. They were the same sideburns of a man Shinji had sat next to on his incoming flight. _No wonder he looked familiar, _Shinji thought.

"Good to see you again, Shinji," Kaji said, confirming Shinji's suspicions. The older man offered Shinji a hand, reaching over the clinging seventeen-year-old Asuka, and they shook.

"I… We missed you, Kaji-san," Shinji said.

"I missed you, too."

Maya Ibuki, next door in Apartment 500, jumped out of sleep when she heard Asuka shriek. She brushed off the salty remains of the seaweed crackers she'd been gorging on, and grabbed her jean jacket. Soon enough, she discovered that it was a bit too cold for just a jacket. For the first time in nearly twenty years, it was snowing in Tokyo-2. She gasped at the beauty of the small falling flakes. She turned toward the doorway of Asuka's apartment. She walked up to the man in the entrance. Asuka was hugging and groping him violently. When Kaji heard the former NERV technician walk up next to him, he turned. Maya gasped again.

"Kaji-san," she whispered.

"Ms. Ibuki," he said politely. Looking into the apartment, Maya saw another wonder, Shinji Ikari, alive and safe. Overwhelmed, Ibuki fainted into the arms of Ryouji Kaji, much to Asuka's annoyance.

Ryouji brought the woman to the couch. Shinji and Mana hopped off of it to give the man some room to lay the young woman. She moaned as her eyes opened.

"Shinji is here?" she said, rather out of breath.

"Yes, and so am I," Kaji replied.

"B-but how? You disappeared when Vice-Commander Fuyutsuki returned to NERV. We all thought you were…"

"I know. I was shot by a spy hired by Gendou. Luckily, I was wearing a bullet-proof vest, since I was pretty sure the crazy commander would send his goons after me. I lay on the ground until the would-be assassin left. Then, I went into hiding. I've had about a dozen different names since then."

"Wow," Shinji, Asuka, Mana, and Maya all said. Kaji laughed lightly.

"Does anybody have Misato's number?" he asked innocently. Asuka gasped, and her eyes watered. She ran to the bedroom. Moments later, heavy metal voices blasted from behind the closed door, hiding the Second Child's sobs.

Shinji hung his head as he remembered Misato Katsuragi's final moments on Earth. _He doesn't know._ Shinji glanced at Mana, who, as usual, was a fifth wheel. With tears in his eyes, he walked up to Kaji, kneeling beside Maya Ibuki, who was now sitting upright. She, too, was crying.

"What happened?" Kaji demanded. Mana, behind Kaji, wanted to know the same thing. _Who is Misato? _she wondered.

Shinji slowly, without the slightest hint of emotion in his voice, related the story of Major Katsuragi's death during the storming of NERV. Raising his head, Shinji looked at Kaji. The older man had stood up. His face was grim and stony, but his eyes showed a world of pain. Behind him, Mana sat on the arm of the couch above Maya Ibuki's head, bewildered.

"I had always thought that it might be the other way around," he said, his husky voice barely a whisper. Turning to Shinji, he asked, "Who else lives here? It looks like Maya does, but that's all I know."

Accidentally ignoring the question, Shinji wondered, "How did you find us?"

"Haven't you ever heard of a phone book?" Kaji asked simply. It hadn't been that easy; he had connections, but that wasn't anything Shinji needed to know about. "Now answer my question, please."

"Everybody from NERV except Kouzou-sama and R-Rei. She died, too."

"I see. I wanted to… talk to Ritsuko-kun. Which apartment is she in?"

"495," Shinji said, "but she's at work."

"How can I get there?"

Shinji walked over to his suitcase, still unpacked. Opening it, he dug out a map of Tokyo-2. In the back of his mind, Shinji registered that the suitcase still smelled like his old hovel. He brought the map to Kaji and showed him the route to the hospital. "Her office is on the fifth floor," Shinji recalled.

"Thanks, Shinji," Kaji said as he prepared to leave. It was almost 9:30. Shinji wondered when, if ever, Makoto would show up. Kaji approached the exit, but he had a sudden thought. He walked back into the main area of the apartment and strode over the door to Asuka's bedroom. The radio had died down.

"Asuka-chan," he called. "I'm going out now. I'll see you later."

There was no response, but Ryouji was pretty sure that he didn't need one. He returned to the doorway, waved to Shinji, Maya, and Mana, and disappeared into the snowy night.

Shortly afterward, Maya left as well. She apologized for her behavior, which Shinji and Mana both excused. Soon, the two teens were left on the couch. The television program in front of them rolled on, but neither of them paid it the slightest bit of attention. For a long moment, nothing happened. Then, Shinji felt a heavy warmth rest on his shoulder. It could only be one thing. Shinji looked. _Yup, _he thought. It was Mana Kirishima's head. She had positioned her entire body against his. Shinji began to sweat. There was something calming in her demeanor, and he was unsure of how to cope with it.

"Shinji," she whispered.

"Y-y-yes, Mana?" Shinji's mind was frozen in fear. Was it possible that the crimson-haired young woman was… bored? If there was thing Shinji feared, it was extreme boredom.

"Tell me about Misato."

Shinji let out a drastic breath. Mana wasn't bored after all. It was clear that Misato had been something special to Shinji, Mr. Kaji, and even Asuka. Mana was simply curious about the amazing woman who had, for a number of years ago, been the closest thing to family that Ikari had had. Just reflecting on his purple-haired former guardian gave Shinji a strange feeling in the bottom of his stomach. It was loneliness. Finding his voice, the young man described the day of the Sachiel's attack. He didn't care if anything he knew was classified; there was no NERV to stop him. After over an hour, Shinji realized that Mana was sleeping against him. Soon, his eyes became heavy as well. It had been a very strange day. Suddenly, a scream erupted from outside. Shinji bolted upright. It was the voice of Maya Ibuki. In his start, he awoke Mana.

"Whassa?" she mumbled.

"Something happened outside. I'll be right back," Shinji explained. He grabbed his jacket and opened the front door.

At first, he was stunned by the amount of white all over the ground. There were at least ten centimeters on the ground! He had only seen snow once, in America. It had been the second day of November, and the temperature plummeted. He had been amazed at the pristine white flakes drift down from the heavens. Shinji looked around, seeking Maya. He found her knelt over something on the cement walkway in front of the apartments. She was crying profusely.

"Maya?" Shinji asked tentatively.

Maya looked up with tears in her eyes.

"He's dead!" she wailed.

"Who?" Shinji asked. Before she answered, she shifted her body just enough to show him the face of the man who lay on his back on the cold, snowy cement. A knife protruded from his clothing, melting the snow over him into a gooey red mess.

It was Professor Makoto Hyuuga.

A tiny groan escaped from Shinji's lips. Maya continued her desperate sobbing.

"He was… so nice… We were… going on a date… tomorrow…" Whatever she said after that was unintelligible.

"I'm calling an ambulance." He ran off.

Maya heard the young man, but she did not care. She had, over the years, become good friends with Makoto. He was funny, gentle, and smart. He had always acted like a gentleman, especially around her. Maya was pretty sure he had liked her. They had worked in the same place for years, before the fall of NERV. Now, she had lost him.

Makoto was not dead… yet. He was simply unconscious. Maya had poked her head out only a few minutes earlier, to take a look at the snow. She had heard a scuffle and turned to see two large men accosting Makoto. When he tried to run away, the smaller had grabbed his arm and stabbed him square in the stomach. He had fallen to the cement. She ran to him, and upon seeing the blood and his glazed expression, she had screamed. _If it hadn't been for Shinji… _she thought.

Shinji reached the apartment phone, his hair wet with melting snow. He dialed 1-1-9 and explained the situation. The man on the other end assured a timely response. Shinji thanked him and calmly hung up.

He was on his way to call to Maya that the call was successful when the sliding door to Asuka's bedroom opened slowly. Shinji turned to see the room pitch-black, a thin female hand grasping the door tightly.


	10. Lost and Found

**DISCLAIMER, YO**

I do not own _Neon Genesis Evangelion_; Gainax and Hideaki Anno do. I'm just a 16-year-old fanboy from Alaska.

This chapter contains a phone conversation, placed in braces, like this. Please read and review. Thanks. – C.o.W.

**Chapter 9 – Lost and Found**

Slowly, Asuka Langley Soryu emerged from her dark bedroom. Her eyes were puffy and red from crying. Her face was emotionless. She stared at Shinji Ikari as she walked up to him.

"Asuka-san?" he asked softly.

"Baka-Shinji," she replied without any hint of feeling. For a moment, it was if Shinji was talking to none other than Rei Ayanami again. The redhead came in to be only inches from his face. Mana Kirishima, on the couch, had woken up and was watching the scene between the teenagers unfold.

"What's wrong?" asked the boy.

"Everything."

"What do you mean?"

"It is time for me to leave."

"What!"

"I am leaving Japan, Shinji."

"**What!** Why?"

"I wish to return to my real home, in Germany."

"But your friends are here!"

"I have no friends."

"Yes, you do! You have Hikari, and Mana, and Ritsuko, and Ka—"

"Kaji does not care for me, and I have lied to myself. I know that I cannot love him."

Shinji wanted to agree. Asuka had always been idealistic to think that she would be able to bag Ryouji Kaji, a man at least twice her age. The girl continued.

"Mana is not my friend; I barely know her. Same thing goes for Hikari."

"But they still care about you!"

"No they don't, and I don't care about them." Asuka knew that both were lies, but she felt horribly out of place without anybody to share her feelings with. _Except for Shinji-kun, but he is too much of a coward to say anything._ "I have not seen my country in years. I am a woman now. Don't you forget that I've already graduated from college with a degree in aeronautics!"

"Aeronautics? Like, you want to be an astronaut?" Shinji asked, taken aback. He didn't know that Asuka had had any kind of interest in that science.

"More or less, and with the Evangelion training I've had, it should be no sweat. Besides, I've been studying the moves back into space that have occurred over the last four years. The space agencies of the world have expressed the need for young, smart workers. I fit into that category perfectly." Now Asuka was starting to sound like her old self.

"B-but…" Shinji trailed off. Asuka scoffed and returned to her room. She emerged carrying a bulging suitcase. It was then that Shinji and Asuka heard an ambulance pull up outside the apartments. Asuka didn't wish to know what was happening, but it wouldn't stop her. She had plenty of money; she knew how to get back to Germany. Besides, if somebody as weak as Shinji could up and leave, why couldn't she? She had a reason to leave, too. _I am doing nothing with my life! _she complained to herself. _Shinji will probably be a nothing anyway, with his inability to say anything important when it matters._

"Here," Asuka said, handing Shinji a piece of paper. He didn't take it right away, and she more or less simply stuffed it into his left hand. She closed her hands around his containing the note.

"Give this to Ritsuko," she said. There was no response. Asuka walked to the coat rack and put on her coat. Through the slightly open front door, Shinji could hear the ambulance leave. He poked his head outside. Maya was gone too, and it was improbable that she had gone back to her apartment without him hearing her pass 501. _She probably took a ride in the ambulance, _he considered. Asuka approached the doorway where Shinji stood.

"Excuse me," she said testily, her long arms akimbo.

Shinji was unsure of whether to let her pass or not. His right hand twitched in indecision. He finally buckled when he saw the German girl becoming quite angry. He moved just enough to let her through. She stood on the cement, covered with even more snow than before. It was already well past her ankles, and the flakes were still tumbling from the sky. The boy and the girl looked at each other for a moment.

"Goodbye, Shinji Ikari." She turned and began to walk away into the night.

Shinji wrestled with his mind. He wanted to tell her, but he was still afraid. For once, his better side won out.

"Asuka!" he cried out. She didn't stop walking. "Asuka! I love you!"

Now she stopped. Asuka twirled about and ran back to the thin young man, standing in the cold. She walked right up to him, and ran her right hand along the left side of his chin, in the same way he had done when he had first come out of his coma.

"Shinji-kun, I love you, too," she said. With that, she kissed him. It was not a shallow, bored kiss. Instead, it had the depth and emotion behind it that Shinji had received only once before, from Misato Katsuragi. His eyes widened, and the piece of paper he'd been holding, which was, incidentally, blank, fell to the ground to blend in with the perfectly white snow. For a moment, their tongues met. It was different from Misato's kiss. Asuka had a certain type of youthful vigor, while Misato had been much more experienced. She pulled away.

"I love you, too," Asuka repeated, "but I need to keep growing up. I cannot stay here, just stagnating. Besides, I'll be back… someday. Until then, that kiss should be enough of a reminder. Goodbye, Third Child; I'll miss you." She walked off into the night until she reached the sidewalk and hailed a cab. It stopped, and the driver got out to help her with her suitcase. While he loaded it in the trunk of the car, Asuka looked back at the stream of buttery yellow light coming from Apartment 501. Shinji's silhouette stood in the snow. _Poor thing, _she thought.

Shinji was lost for words, and he could see her face turned toward him once again. Far too soon, their link was broken as she climbed into the back of the taxi. It drove off in the direction of the airport, and though the redhead could not see it, he waved as the car grew smaller and smaller, until it finally turned a corner and disappeared altogether.

Instead of standing out in the cold like an idiot—

_Baka! _Asuka's voice shouted in his mind.

Shinji turned and returned to the apartment. After grimly shutting and locking the front door, he walked right past Mana, sitting upright on the couch, crying. He entered Asuka's bedroom and closed the sliding door, seeking peace. Shinji Ikari collapsed onto the young woman's bed. This was all he had left of the beautiful German girl. He cried. _She is gone, the only girl I ever loved. My life has fallen from heaven to hell. Is… is it my fault again? I can't tell. I didn't do anything _At some point, his tears and worried thoughts tapered off, to be replaced by a deep sleep.

**Ritsuko Akagi's Office**

The intercom on the blonde's desk buzzed. It was Dr. Akagi's secretary.

"There's a man here to see you, Sempai."

"Very well; send him in." This piqued the woman's curiosity. It couldn't be any of the other doctors that worked at the hospital, or the secretary would have named them. It couldn't be anybody Ritsuko was seeing in private because… she wasn't seeing anybody in private. It might be Makoto or Shigeru, but they already knew the secretary. _Especially Shigeru, _Ritsuko thought with a smirk. A moment later, the door opened and an all-too-familiar man stepped into the messy, smoky office. Akagi looked up and recognized the muscular body and scruffy face as that of Ryouji Kaji. She gasped, her mouth hanging openly.

"Well, are you just going to sit there and gape, or what?" asked the sassy man.

Ritsuko stood, and took her glasses off her face. Slowly, she set them on the desk. Kaji looked at her, crossing his arms.

"I…" she began. "I, um, didn't… expect you." She was angry at herself for such a stupid response. Immediately, her eyes dropped to the surface of the desk, and she remained silent. She heard Ryouji approach her. Ritsuko was confused. Here was a man, and she had been so lonely all these years…

Kaji walked around to stand behind her. He positioned his hands around the blonde doctor's shoulder blades. Her back muscles were very tense from recent stress, so he began to give her a massage.

Ritsuko wasn't sure what to make of his act. She had been under so much pressure lately, from work and looking after Asuka. Ryouji's strong fingers felt so soothing as they moved across her upper back, kneading her sore muscles. She sighed.

Kaji finished, and Ritsuko turned around to look up at him. She stood. It turned out that she was a bit shorter than he was, but it didn't matter. Their eyes met, and a silent message passed between them. Their faces were close, and getting closer. Ritsuko and Ryouji came together for a small, shallow kiss. Had it been somebody like Misato, Kaji would have been more forward, but he knew that the doctor had always been boy-shy. Unfortunately, Ritsuko's intercom buzzed again and the secretary, with just a hint of… knowing in her voice, said, "Maya Ibuki is here to see you, Sempai."

Ritsuko looked into Ryouji's eyes, as if he knew what Maya could possibly have shown up for. He only shrugged, so Dr. Akagi left his embrace and responded, saying "Send her in."

"Hai."

Ritsuko quickly motioned for Kaji to take a more appropriate seat, which he did. She straightened her clothing and sat down stoically. A second later, Maya entered, in the same state of dishevel that Shinji had seen.

"Maya?" Ritsuko asked incredulously.

"Hai," the former lieutenant responded. She shuffled forward, ignoring Kaji's presence.

"Wh-what happened to you?"

"I-he—" but Maya began to cry.

"Maya! Tell me what's going on!" Akagi snapped. This seemed to bring Ibuki out of her blubbering. Maya was glad that her best friend had been able to shake some sense into her… verbally, anyway. The younger woman breathed in and out shakily, and then spoke.

"I poked my head outside. The snow was so pretty. I looked towards Makoto-kun's apartment, because I heard a struggle. Makoto was there… he was being… accosted by two large men. They were demanding that he give them something or tell him something, I don't know. Anyway, he was refusing. He tried to get away and that's when one of them stabbed him. I screamed and ran to him. He fell down pretty hard, I guess. Shinji heard me and—"

"Shinji!" Ritsuko exclaimed. "You mean he's back?"

"Um, yeah," Maya said, "I thought you knew."

"Well…" the doctor replied testily, "now I know. Go on."

"Well, Shinji came out to see what was wrong. He saw poor Makoto-kun, and he called an ambulance. I came, too."

"I see. Makoto is alright?"

"Yeah, the doctors took him. I think they sent a police car back to the apartments."

Now, Kaji had something to say. "You said… there were two men?"

Maya turned to him. "Yes."

"How were they dressed?"

"Long, dark coats. That's all I could make out."

"Hmm." Ryouji sat back and mulled over this. His outward reaction was a lot more controlled than his mind, which was in a panic. He knew that this was not a random occurrence…

**Three Years Earlier**

Kaji lay on a steel, full-length platform. His wrists and ankles were spread and bound tightly. What had he gotten himself into now?

He had been at a high-end Parisian restaurant with a pretty young thing named Lydia. They had talked over fine cuisine; eventually, their conversation turned to NERV. The last thing he saw was Lydia's face, smiling all too knowingly, as he took a sip of a dark red wine.

This room he was in was small, and empty except for himself and a small metallic box in front of him. A thin, reedy, sarcastic voice issued from it.

"What is your name, sir?"

Kaji thought for a moment. It wouldn't do him any good to lie.

"I am Ryouji Kaji."

"So, you have worked for NERV?"

"Yes," Kaji said. He had worked for SEELE, too, but they weren't asking about that.

"We have been waiting a very long time, Comrade Kaji."

Damn! Ryouji recognized the voice; it was one of the SEELE goons. Kaji was sure that they had split after Lorenz's death. So what were they doing tracking him down and kidnapping him?

"I see," Kaji responded flatly.

"You are unhappy in our presence?"

"No, sir."

"I thought as much. We have called you here."

"I can… see that."

"We want you to stay here."

"What!"

"We can't allow you to return to Japan."

"Why not?"

"It is simple, Comrade. You are supposed to be dead. We will keep you here… alive and well. But, if you try to escape, much less return to the Land of the Rising Sun, you will find both yourself, and your friends, in very bad circumstances. Agreed?"

It was clear the SEELE members had gone of the deep end. They were angry so their plans for Instrumentality had failed, and now they wanted revenge. So, they were going to blackmail him.

In a solemn, low voice, Kaji agreed. It was to be the beginning of a year of loneliness and despair.

**Three Years Later**

"Kaji? Kaji, are you there?" It was Ritsuko. Ryouji had completely ignored his surroundings for the last few minutes. Ritsuko and Maya were now on their way out the door. He looked up.

"You're leaving, Ritsuko-kun?"

"Yes; I've taken the rest of the night off. I'm going down to check on Makoto, and then I'm going home. I want to catch up with Shinji, and then I—" She was interrupted by the ringing phone.

She walked over to her desk and picked it up. Kaji gathered himself up and moved into the doorway.

This is Dr. Akagi. Mana Kirishima was on the other end.

Dr. Akagi?

Yes, Mana?

Asuka is gone.

What do you mean Asuka's gone! Ritsuko asked, stunned.

She left the apartment and said she was going b-back to Germany.

Ritsuko's eyes widened. What a stupid, selfish thing to do. _Shit, _she thought. Now what am I going to do?

I… I'll be there soon.

With that, Ritsuko hung up. She turned to Maya and Kaji.

"Let's go," she said coldly.


	11. Life After Death, Love After Death

**DISCLAIMER, YO**

I do not own _Neon Genesis Evangelion_; Gainax and Hideaki Anno do. I'm just a 16-year-old fanboy from Alaska.

Please read and review. Thanks. – C.o.W.

**Chapter 10 – Life After Death, Love After Death**

Ritsuko Akagi drove her De Lorean up in front of Apartment 501. She took a deep breath. _He's home,_ she thought. The man who sat beside her, Ryouji Kaji, stroked the back of her head. She looked up at the man now, wondering what his intentions were. His look was far from neutral; there was great caring and compassion in his face. _Is it real, _she wondered, _the way he seems to fell? The way I surely feel?_

She smiled at him. Kaji understood her inner conflict. He had, after all, been the lover of her late best friend. Maybe she felt guilty, or maybe she felt the way she usually did around men: out of place. Kaji had learned from Misato how the fake blonde's mother had been indifferent and ignorant to her daughter's social needs. _Didn't Naoko teach her daughter anything? _Ryouji asked himself. He wanted to kiss Ritsuko again, but the better part of him held back, playing it cool.

Without a word from either, they stepped out of the car. They both looked over to where several police officers and a number of criminal investigators were examining where Makoto Hyuuga had been seriously wounded. Ritsuko and Ryouji walked up to the door of Apartment 501. The doctor pressed the button that set off the doorbell. To her surprise, Mana Kirishima answered the front door. The girl looked quite sad.

"Good evening, Dr. Akagi. Welcome back, Mr. Kaji," Mana said.

"Hello, Mana-kun. Where is Shinji?" Ritsuko asked, looking into the apartment.

Silently, Mana pointed to the sliding door to the bedroom of one Asuka Langley Soryu. The blonde nodded.

* * *

At first, Shinji had no dreams. Then, something did indeed come. It came to his mind slowly, calmly, so that he had enough time to adjust to his new surroundings. His eyes opened slowly. He was in a beautiful field, sunny and warm. A small breeze whispered over his smooth face. Behind him, a small barn stood at the top of the small hill on whose gentle slope he lay. It was so peaceful. Suddenly, a shadow fell over him. He looked up. Even though the sun was to the young woman's back, her pale face was somehow slightly illuminated. He gasped and slowly rose to his feet, the girl's eyes following his astonished face. 

Her eyes were ruby-red, and her short blue hair swayed softly in the wind. She looked somewhat older, as if she, too, had aged since they had last seen each other.

"Rei," he said simply.

She smiled at the mention of her name. It was not the small, strained smile she had shown him when he had run to open her Evangelion unit's entry plug as rescued her after the Ramiel's attack. Instead, it was a large smile that made her entire face take on a pleased, kind look.

"Shinji-kun," she said, "I miss you."

"I miss you too, Rei, but why are you here?" Shinji asked.

"I watch over you, Shinji," she said. "I have been near you since the day I died."

"What do you mean?" Shinji was slightly confused. This was only a dream; why was Rei talking about being dead? Wasn't he in control of his own dreams? _This was not what I want to dream about! _he thought uneasily.

"It is alright," Rei said, answering his thoughts. "My soul, the part of me that was able to show emotion, is still here, on Earth. I died, and I felt myself rise to where I could see my own body on the hospital bed. I wanted to stay here… but my body was falling apart. I wouldn't let myself leave, because I missed you all so much. I went to your hospital room, and I sat beside your bed, Shinji, for over three years. The day you awoke was the happiest day I have ever known."

"No…" Shinji said softly, "that's not possible."

"It is possible. It is true. Anything is possible; did you not see that during the Angel attacks?"

"I…" Shinji began, but he was at a loss for words. _She's been watching me, all this time. She's been—_

"Rei," he said suddenly.

"Yes?" she replied.

"Are… are you the b-b-blue flashes I've seen?" _It was a stupid question, _Shinji thought immediately.

"Yes, Shinji-kun."

"WHAT!" he cried.

"I… tried to show myself to you, because… I wanted you to know I was there. It was… exhausting, so I only did it three times, twice for you and once for Dr. Akagi."

"Why Ritsuko-san?"

"I… am sorry that Dr. Akagi suffered… because of me."

"Oh," Shinji said softly, examining the grass.

"Yes. She saw me, too. You can ask her."

"Rei," he said, changing the subject innocently, "why do you want to stay here?"

"It is simple, Shinji-kun. I love you."

"B-but! I! We're!"

"Yes, I know, but I still love you. You are kind and compassionate. I did not want to leave you. There was nowhere for me to go, really." Neither Rei nor Shinji had an understanding of heaven as it is in Christianity. However, they both believed in some sort of an afterlife, especially if Rei's spirit had been able to manifest itself.

This made Shinji curious about something. "Rei," he began, "have… have you seen m-my father?"

"No, Shinji-kun, he has… left the Earth. It was unfortunate that he was killed."

Questions ran through the boy's mind. _Killed? Unfortunate?_

"Didn't he die… during the invasion of NERV or… or the collapse of the Geo-Front?"

"No, Shinji-kun," Rei repeated. "Do you not know who it was that killed your father?"

"W-well, no, or I would've said so!" Shinji said, raising his voice.

Rei looked away for a moment, before returning her attention to the young man.

"I regret having to tell you this, but Dr. Akagi killed him."

Shinji, overwhelmed, sat down on the grass heavily. "I… no…" he mumbled.

Rei, breaking her neutral stance, sat down next to him. "I am sorry," she said.

"D-don't apologize," he said defensively.

"Ritsuko… was a good person," Rei reasoned. "She did it because she wanted to stop Third Impact. In the end, it worked, even if it was not the most moral thing to do."

"But… you died!" Shinji cried, turning away from the blue-haired girl. "That wasn't fair…"

"Perhaps, that was the price. One life for another."

This was too much for Shinji. He stood up suddenly, his eyes filled with tears.

"You didn't need to die! It was bad enough when Misato-san died! I loved both of you… so much…"

For a moment, surprisingly, Rei said nothing. "I know. When I realized I was dying, I tried to change. I tried to live as you and Asuka had. By the time I began to enjoy myself, it was almost too late. I was sick, and both you and Asuka were comatose. There was only one time when I could fully enjoy being a teenager."

"When was that?"

"Before Asuka went into a coma, we spent some time together."

"What do you mean?"

"She visited me once, when I was recovering from some injuries I'd incurred during the fall of NERV. We talked. She… apologized for being mean to me."

"Wasn't she in the hospital, too?"

"Yes, and that's how we lived out our time together. We went to the cafeteria a few times, since we didn't have any communicable diseases or anything."

"Did… didn't it hurt, to walk and stuff?" Shinji asked.

"Yes, my whole body was hurting, but I would have been lonely otherwise. When your father died, I felt lonely for the first time. Someone I had known for all of my life was gone, and I could do nothing."

"What about Asuka? How did she go into a coma if she was healthy?" Shinji felt slightly bad pestering Rei with all these questions, but she didn't seem to mind.

"She was physically sound, but not mentally so. She had failed yet again, in her own mind. Also, she had realized that her mother's soul was present in her Evangelion unit, which was totally destroyed. Over that week, she became more and more depressed."

"Why did she open up to you? She hated you."

"I am uncertain, but I believe she had begun to understand my situation as a tool of Commander Ikari, and not a child of anyone. We were…"

"…both orphans," Shinji finished. He stood still, watching her. A sudden, foreboding breeze swept across the hill and a cloud began to obscure the face of the sun. Rei stood up and looked at him.

"I love you, Shinji Ikari."

"I love you, too, Rei." It was a clear understatement. She had been with him for four whole years. Suddenly, her thin arms closed in on him, and they embraced. It felt so real. Shinji tentatively brought his arms around the girl's slender waist. Rei rested her head on the boy's shoulder. They stayed that way for a while, until Rei spoke.

"I must leave now."

"B-but, Rei…"

"Shinji," she said firmly, "this dream cannot last forever. You are needed elsewhere, but I will stay near you."

He was silent. There was so little to wake up to. He decided to ask her a stupid question.

"Rei, can I meet you here again?"

"I… I am not sure, Shinji-kun. My strength has been severely diminished. I will not be able to attempt to reach your dreams again, probably for many months. You must have strength in me."

He wanted to protest, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything.

"G-goodbye, Rei."

"Goodbye, Shinji Ikari."

Their deep hug ended, and Rei Ayanami, the First Child, began to rise above the ground. Their faces stayed locked onto each other's. She continued to ascend into the sky until she was barely visible. At the same time, the entire scene began to fade out to blackness once again.

Shinji Ikari awoke slowly. He looked up in the doorway to Asuka's bedroom, to see Ritsuko Akagi's silhouette.

"It's been a while, Ikari."

* * *

Four sat at Apartment 501's kitchen table: Shinji Ikari, Mana Kirishima, Ritsuko Akagi, and Ryouji Kaji. It had been an exhausting day for all of them. The blonde doctor nursed a mug of cheap instant coffee; it was the only caffeine Shinji could find in the apartment. The former spy drank numerous glasses of ice water. Mana stared at a glass of orange juice somewhat dejectedly. Shinji himself needed nothing. They had been talking for quite a while, about Shinji's time in America, Asuka, and Kaji, with the last being the least detailed story. 

Silence had fallen, and eyelids were getting heavy. It had been decided that nothing could be done about the Second Child. She was her own person; she could defend herself. It was Kaji's opinion that soon enough, she would be on television, either being hauled off to jail for assaulting the chancellor of Germany or being shot into orbit around the moon. Shinji was a bit put off that he could crack jokes like that.

It was well after midnight when the group split up. Mana and Ritsuko returned to their respective apartments, the latter toting her signature cigarette. Shinji allowed Kaji to stay at his.

"Arigato, Ikari. I would ask Ritsuko-san, but I do value my internal organs," he had said. Shinji simply smiled politely as the older man flopped onto the couch and fell asleep almost immediately. Shinji sighed, and returned to Asuka's bedroom. It was not decorated extensively, but it did smell… pleasant. He could not sleep. Instead, he sat and thought about the Second Child. _What could I have done differently?_

**Later**

On the other side of the world, the object of Shinji's desires slept in a small hotel room outside Berlin.


	12. The Real Relation, the Underlying Theme

Yeah, yeah, I'm back from the dead. Please read and review. Thanks. – C.o.W.

**Warning:** Here lies a crossover.

A quick note to Elliot Briskey: 1-1-9 is the Japanese equivalent of 9-1-1.

**Chapter 11 – The Real Relation, the Underlying Theme**

A rough hand awakened Shinji Ikari. It ceased, to be replaced by a low, gruff voice.

"Shinji, I've got to run some errands; I'll be back in a few hours."

The young man struggled to regain his voice.

"Uh, okay, K-Kaji-san."

Ryouji smiled grimly as he got up and inspected Shinji, fast asleep on Asuka's bed. He rolled his eyes before leaving the bedroom, leaving Ikari lying face-down on the bed. Shinji heard the front door close, and he sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes.

"I'm still here," he said softly. Shinji stood, and silently cleaned up the room, oblivious to the fact that much of its contents weren't his.

The boy wondered how he could feel so sad, and not shed a single tear. He felt so alone. It was as if the world had left him behind four years ago. _My friends are all going to college; my family is dead, even Rei and Misato. Asuka realized it and she left to grow up. I'm still stuck here. I can't run away anymore. I… I wish that Third Impact _had_ happened after all. Then I wouldn't have to deal with all of this sadness. I never even found out who killed my father… I wonder if… if he could've changed._

Shinji wandered into the kitchen, even though he wasn't really hungry. As he went to the fridge to get a bottle of water, he spied a note on the kitchen counter. Curious, he picked it up and read it once:

_Shinji,_

_I've signed you up for some senior classes at the high school. I know you're older than that, but you haven't attended school like normal. I've enclosed a copy of your class schedule, which starts at 8 AM today. Don't be late._

_Ritsuko_

Shinji's eyes grew wide and he slowly looked to the nearest clock; it was 7:47.

* * *

Shinji ran to school in a frenzy, a small book bag beneath his arm. He hadn't gotten this much exercise in a long time. The slushy snowdrifts on the ground were not helping, at all. He turned a corner too quickly, and slammed straight into another student; they both fell to the ground. Sitting on the wet sidewalk, he gathered his thoughts as he looked over to his victim. 

She was a tall girl with long brown hair and a decent figure. Shinji ignored his own dropped school supplies to help her.

"Th-thanks," she mumbled, feeling around in the cold grit and pebbles for something in particular.

"I'm sorry," he said automatically.

"Can you see my glasses?" she asked simply.

Shinji looked around, and spotted the pair of glasses, lying in a pile of sludge. He picked them up wiped them off with his shirt sleeve, noting that they looked nothing like the frames his father had worn.

"Here," he said softly as he put them into her open palm. She adjusted them on her face, looking very much more oriented. However, they obscured her eyes much like his father's had, so that the lenses themselves seemed almost opaque.

"_Arigatou_," she said lightly, before picking up her soaking-wet books and walking away, giving him a small wave. He nodded before realizing that he was still running late. Shinji took off in the direction of the school. It didn't occur to him that he'd forgotten to ask the tall girl for her name. In one way, it didn't really matter; Shinji's heart was elsewhere.

* * *

The school was rather normal. Shinji walked through the corridors, not tall enough to assert his age. It seemed that none of them could recognize, which was a relief. He had disliked school as an Evangelion pilot because he would often be cornered by knots of people he didn't know and submitted to ridiculously ignorant questions about… everything that was his previous life. Now that things were different, it made sense to Shinji that he should put his past behind him for good. 

He gathered his supplies outside of his locker and headed for homeroom. Shinji found the doorway blocked by a gaggle of girls, all apparently in his class. They were discussing a recent trip to one of their houses, from what Shinji could hear. It wasn't very interesting, mainly because he wanted to be out of the noisy hallway.

Timidly, Shinji cleared his throat. The girls turned to him. It was a shock to him to see that among them was the tall brunette he'd run into on the sidewalk. She looked at him in an indescribable, awkward way. She was about to speak to him when her friends shuffled her into the classroom with them. Shinji followed them in their wake and quickly chose an unobtrusive seat in the last row of the room.

This anonymity did last for long, as Shinji was called to the front of the classroom for the standard introduction; the teacher had been late. As was usual, she introduced him to the class. He thanked her, and directed his attention to the students.

"I'm very pleased to meet all of you," he said plainly. The teacher gave him a thumbs-up, and he took a seat.

* * *

The day slid by, with little excitement. Shinji migrated to the school cafeteria for lunch, and chose a seat by himself, not seeing it necessary to sit with others. Still, he could not get Asuka out of his head… and he didn't want to, for that matter. The boy was hungry, and he had nothing to eat, having forgotten to bring anything for lunch. He was thinking about the feel of Asuka's lips against his when he noticed a hand waving up and down in front of his face. He blinked, a bit surprised, and looked up to the owner of the hand. It was a girl with short and straight black hair. 

"Ah, new student!" she said triumphantly, "How are you? You haven't said two words in class! Maybe you're from Osaka or something? Can't speak mainstream Japanese? Hahahahaha-OUCH!" Her ridiculous laughing was cut short by a slap upside her head. The slap belonged to the same girl that Shinji had crashed into on the way to school. She severely scolded the first, as Shinji watched.

"You are so crass; just shut up every once in a while!"

"Aww," whined the black-haired girl, "I was just teasing 'im." With that, she walked away.

The brown-haired girl turned back to Shinji, regarding him with a look of exasperation. "I'm sorry about her; she can be _awful_ sometimes," she said. Shinji only nodded. The girl sat down in front of him across the table, and spoke.

"I don't think we've had a proper introduction," she said smiling, "I'm Koyomi Mizuhara."

Shinji nodded. "I'm Shinji Ikari," he said without any emotion.

Idle talk ensued, and out of the corner of his eye, Shinji could still see Koyomi's rambunctious friend staring them down from the other side of the room. They weren't really enjoying themselves so much as going through the motions of being friendly toward each other. Eventually, though, it was too much. Koyomi stood and excused herself, telling Shinji she'd see him around. Shinji nodded; as the girl went to leave though, she walked straight into a man approaching the table.

"I-I'm sorry, sir," Koyomi mumbled, trying to regain her composure as her friend chortled.

Shinji looked up to see Ryouji Kaji.

"Uh, um, Kaji-san!"

The man simply smiled, trying to ignore Koyomi's dramatic exit.

"You forgot lunch," he said quietly, handing Shinji a bento. "Maya made it."

"_A-arigato!_"

Kaji nodded and turned to leave.

"Be good; I'll see you later…" he trailed off, strolling out of the cafeteria. As soon as he left, Shinji gulped down his food as quickly as possible, not because he was that hungry, but because he couldn't stand the stares and whispers of the students around him. Without a word, he left the lunchroom, brushing past Koyomi rather rudely. She huffed and stalked off in the opposite direction, the black-haired girl in hot pursuit.

* * *

The homeroom teacher glanced at the door with some exasperation; it had been a while since lunch had ended, and the new student had not returned. She sighed, and turned back to the class. 

"It seems our new friend has become lost; somebody, _please_, locate him and bring him back here, before he misses the rest of the day," she said flatly.

Koyomi refused to raise her hand; if this Shinji character was too cowardly to speak up, then she wouldn't bother with him. Besides, she had plenty of other stuff to worry ab—

A flash of pink flew past her; it could only be one thing. The black-haired girl hopped up and down in front of the teacher. "Me! I'll do it!"

"Ugh, fine," said the annoyed sensei, eliciting a cheer from the girl, who sped out the door.

Koyomi knew this was going to be a disaster, and she buried her head in her hands. _Why couldn't the class rep just have gone?_ she wondered.

* * *

The roof of the school was cold, but Shinji had managed to locate a warm vent. He looked across the skyline of Tokyo-2, the old buildings quite disconnected from everything he was experiencing. The various parts of his mind clashed in a power struggle.

_What was Ritsuko thinking?_

_She should've done it sooner; you wouldn't feel so awkward now. Asuka's gone, and the only thing you can do about it is move on._

_She was all I had._

_She was all you wanted, because you were too weak to open up to others._

_She loved me._

_She hated you._

_She kissed me!_

_She humored you._

_It's not true!_

_Then disprove it._

_I… I can't._

_Of course you can't, so look elsewhere._

_Elsewhere for what?_

_Friendship._

_I have friends!_

_You've barely spoken to them in four years; you've grown apart. Can't you see it in their faces? "There's Shinji; remember him? He sure was a strange one."_

"It's not true!" Shinji shouted to the heavens, standing up and clenching his fists.

"What's not true?"

The boy spun around, shocked and embarrassed. It was the girl with the black hair. She had seen his face change as his thoughts warred, and his anger built. It had dawned on her that he wasn't shy, but preoccupied with something else, something far bigger than she could have ever guessed.

Shinji's mouth quivered and his eyes filled with tears. He sat down against the entrance to the roof, and clutched the sides of his head. _I'm making a fool out of myself, over and over. What is wrong with me!_

The girl, sensing something terribly wrong, approached the new student.

"A-are you okay, um…" she racked her brain for the kid's name. _Now I know why my test scores suck so bad,_ she thought.

"Shinji," he choked out, standing. He looked at her for the briefest of moments, and left the roof. The girl stood in the exact same spot for a minute, until running after him.

"Wait!" she called, "It's okay! I'm sorry!" She could hear his response from further down the staircase.

"It's not you, or anybody in this school. _I_ am the problem."

Not losing hope, the girl tried to think of an appropriate thing to say.

"But there's nothing wrong with you! You seem like… a decent person to me!" she called, finally starting to catch up with him. To her surprise, he had stopped, looking back up at her with a suddenly apologetic look.

"I…" he began, "I don't know you, but… I'm sorry. I have a really weird past, and none of you deserve to deal with my reactions to it."

The girl shrugged. "I know nothing beyond your name, but I've come to see that I was wrong to tease you. I'm like that all the time, really. I'm way too rude, I guess, for my own good."

Shinji swallowed and nodded. "Let's just get back to class, Ms…?"

"Takino! Tomo Takino! And I can beat you back to the room!" the girl cried out, running past Shinji frantically and cackling as she ran.

Shinji nodded again, and kept his easy pace in her wake.

* * *

A slender hand, neither tanned nor pale, reached up and depressed the button. The accompanying chime could be heard inside the house. Soon enough, the home's sole occupant opened the door, letting a sharp winter draft in. This was ignored, however, as the homeowner's eyes widened at the sight in front of her. 

"_Mein Gott…_"

* * *

A/N: The chapter title is from a good song; check it out. 


	13. There's a New Age Dawning

Please read and review; thanks. – C.o.W.

**Chapter 12 – There's a New Age Dawning**

Two figures, a parent and a child, sat clutching each other. They both wept out of the joy of a blissful long-awaited reunion. It was the mending of a fence, several years in the making.

* * *

By the afternoon, the snow had returned to the city of Tokyo-2. It was extremely cold out, and Shinji Ikari inched home, regretting that he had not brought at least a jacket. He wasn't the only one, though. Other students had let out groans after seeing how they would be forced to walk home in the snow. 

School, however, was still an awkward place to be. It seemed that Koyomi was ignoring him.

As the boy entered the apartment, he noticed that Kaji-san was nowhere to be found. Not caring that much, he shed his schoolbooks and sprinted toward the bathroom for a hot shower. He emerged, feeling better but still somewhat glum.

Shinji walked around the apartment, thinking about his recent life. He hadn't seen any of his old middle school friends since before he had left the country. He thought it might be nice to visit them, but it occurred to him that… maybe, they didn't want to see him. Maybe they were bitter. _Last night seems so far away, but the day I left seems like yesterday_, he thought.

An innocent female laugh rang out outside, and Shinji looked up. Quietly, he made his way to the front window, where he could see Hikari Horaki and Touji Suzuhara. It looks like they had just arrived from the university, since Shinji could see them sitting on the hood of her convertible, a few parking spaces away from his front door.

_It's the perfect time to talk to them._

_They'll push you away, just like A-_

Before the offending thought finished itself, Shinji threw on his jacket and opened the front door. They heard, and turned. He realized that he couldn't think of anything appropriate to say, but it was unnecessary. They ran to him.

It was only a matter of moments, and they were inside, talking quietly. Before long, however, Hikari asked about Asuka. Shinji said nothing, looking away with a sad, distant look in his eyes. Hikari sighed deeply, and repeated her question.

"Shinji, where is Asuka?"

Only after a long, painful silence did he answer.

"She left town."

"What!" Hikari cried, "what happened?"

"She… she said she wanted to go back to Germany."

Hikari frowned as she tried to digest this. Weren't they friends? _She didn't tell me… but why not?_ Touji, trying to comfort her, put his hand on her shoulder. She considered shrugging it off, but didn't.

"I'm just… so confused," she whispered sadly, "first you, now her…"

"I'm sorry," Shinji said, repeating his old mantra.

"Shinji," Hikari said, looking up at the boy with tearful eyes, "you loved Asuka, right?"

"I still do, and I don't know what I'm going to do now. She said she'd be back one day, but I don't know…"

One question bothered all three: why would Asuka give up everything just to chase a dream of a job? Perhaps, there was something else…

It was one of the most awkward times Shinji had ever experienced, and there seemed to be no end to it. When he had first awakened, there had been some hope of a better life; all the horror of four years ago seemed to have disappeared for good. He had dreamed of a real relationship with the great Asuka Soryu Langley, but _he_ had to screw it up and run away after a petty argument that ended up bringing up the death and misery of the Angel War, specifically a single act of desperation brought about by confusion and sadness. He had allowed Asuka to be strong, and he had simply leaned against her, never trying to develop his own inner strength, even though it was there. He had been content with being weak, and now it infuriated him. The silent apartment was maddening; he felt as if he were being strangled, or caged. He just wanted to be happy…

_You did your best,_ a tiny voice whispered to Shinji. He wasn't sure whether it was his own mind, or…

"Rei," he whispered, not loud enough for either Hikari or Touji to hear. He was unsure of this, but it was beginning to make sense now. He and Asuka needed time apart, no matter how much either of them wanted to be happy together. Only separation would truly bury their past. Asuka didn't just want to get a job; she wanted to become more mature, and she had been trying to tell Shinji the same thing! The boy was changing inside now, his entire mind experiencing an upheaval. All this frustration and sadness was _hurting him._ It made no sense to obsess about her, because it then he wouldn't be living his life, he'd be living the past. Hadn't he been trying to forget about the past?

Shinji explained this to Hikari and Touji, all the while becoming happy. While he didn't have to forget her, he should be focusing on other things. Someday, in the future, he would meet her again, and they start anew. _That's what she meant all along… she forgave me._

The night went much more smoothly. Touji and Hikari stayed over for dinner, and Kensuke and Kaji joined them. The latter was sporting a bruise on his cheek that he refused to talk about, but he assured them that he was fine. All three had to admit it was the happiest they had ever seen Shinji Ikari.

"Ritsuko's going to be happy," Ryouji commented.

"So, Shinji, what have you done all day?" Kensuke asked.

"I'm taking high school classes," Shinji said, a little embarrassed. His friend only nodded in an understanding manner.

"Yup," Kaji said, "and Shinji here has already made himself known among the female half of the student body, eh?"

Shinji turned beet-red, and nearly choked on his own cooking. Touji and Kensuke leaned in, surrounding him with wily smiles while Kaji sat back and chuckled. Hikari rolled her eyes.

Once he regained his breath, Shinji proceeded to tell them about Koyomi, albeit reluctantly, and with much prodding.

"…And I only met her today; I don't know beans about her," he concluded. Kensuke shrugged his shoulders, and Touji leaned back in his chair, unimpressed. The four of them ate in silence for a while, until Touji dropped a small bomb.

"Don't feel like you're the only one with… _interests_, Shinji," he began, ignoring the fact that Shinji didn't consider anybody at high school an 'interest', "Kensuke's taken a shining to somebody…"

"Hey!" Kensuke shouted suddenly, jumping up. "That's my business!"

Touji looked up at his friend with a smirk. "I'm just leveling the playing field…"

Aida shook his fist at the other boy, but he saw that it was futile, and sat down quickly, creating an uneasy peace. Kaji closed his eyes, and beamed. _Young love is hilarious; I should know._ Shinji just smiled. "I won't ask," he reasoned.

"_Thank you_," Kensuke said, still eyeing his classmate.

They finished their meal, and Shinji's friends left. _Speaking of friends,_ he thought as he returned to 'his' bedroom, _I haven't seen Mana since last night; I wonder if she's alright…_

_

* * *

_  
Maya Ibuki rubbed her eyes. She'd slept so little in the last twenty-four hours, and she was effectively fighting a losing battle. She'd maintained her post by Makoto's bed, especially since she'd learned that he had slipped into a coma. She was pretty sure that she had cried for at least thirty minutes straight at this news. It might be another four years. _Just like S-Shinji, or… Asuka…_ she thought. It was already after midnight when she stood up from her small chair and stretched, her bones aching. She looked down at the man's face. _I worked with him for a long time, and it took the destruction of everything we knew to draw us together._ Unable to stop herself, she leaned in and kissed his lips delicately.

"I'll be back shortly," Maya whispered. She turned around, and left the room. In the hall, she looked around for a vending machine, her stomach rumbling. She reached a row of them in an empty waiting room, where there was a tall man dressed in all black leaning against one of the machines. She stood in front of the one next to him, quietly looking over the selections. Behind her, the man cleared his throat meaningfully. Distracted, Maya turned around, only to have something wet and reeking of chemicals thrust into her face, smothering her. The last thing she remembered was the man's thin, drawn face, his bright, shimmering eyes, and his smile of pure evil.

It wasn't until long after the strange man had dragged Ibuki's limp body out of the area that an elderly janitor came to replace the broken security camera in the corner of the room. As he turned to leave, he spied something lying on the ground. He cut short his unbearably bad rendition of "Baker Street", and picked the object up; it turned out to be a small wallet… Maya's wallet. He peeked inside, seeing a bit of money and identification. He shrugged his shoulders, and placed it on his wheeled cart, to drop it off at the Lost and Found office at the end of his shift.

An hour later, an exhausted Ritsuko Akagi let herself into Makoto Hyuuga's hospital room. To her great surprise, Maya wasn't there. Frowning, she searched the nearby hallways, but in vain. Finally, she made an announcement over the loudspeaker system:

"Would Ms. Maya Ibuki please report to Dr. Ritsuko Akagi's office? Maya Ibuki, please report to Dr. Akagi's office."

Worried, Ritsuko walked to her office, but there was no sign of the younger woman. Sighing, she sat down behind her desk. Her secretary had gone home a few hours before, so Ritsuko boiled herself a new pot of coffee and waited. An hour passed, until a timid knock sounded on the door. Ritsuko jumped up and answered it herself.

"Thank god, M—ack!"

It wasn't Maya at the door, but a simple janitor. Dr. Akagi straightened her white coat a bit and folded her arms.

"Can I help you, sir?"

"Pardon me, Doctor, but I found something that belongs to that lady you're looking for."

Ritsuko's eyebrows rose considerably, and she held out her hand. The worker gave her the wallet. It only took a minute of thumbing through the wallet to confirm that it was Maya's.

"Thank you," she mumbled as she walked past the janitor. _Maya's not ditzy enough to just drop her wallet, which means _something_ has happened to her, something… terrible._


	14. Aerodynamic

Please read and review; thanks. – C.o.W.

**Chapter 13 – Aerodynamic**

Ryouji Kaji was ready for the knock at the door to Apartment 501. He opened it quickly, allowed the blonde doctor to step into the room, and shut the door just as soon as she had entered. They looked into each other's eyes for a minute. There was a certain tension between them, something that they would have gone into if the circumstances had been better. As it was, they sat down at the kitchen table across from each other.

"Now, what was so important that you couldn't tell it to me over the phone?"

"Maya's been kidnapped."

Ryouji slammed his fist on the table, making Ritsuko start. "It's starting," he said, "the old men are going to follow through with their threat. That's why I was mugged today," he said, indicating the nasty bruise on his face, "and why Ibuki was kidnapped."

"We've got to _do _something, Ryouji! She's probably already been taken out of the country by now!"

"I have to leave. They only want me."

"Don't be ridiculous," she snapped, "nobody just gives themselves up to their enemies."

**Denial**

"They do if they have people they care about."

"NO!" she shouted harshly, standing up, "if you go, they'll come after us!"

**Anger**

"Not if they already have me."

"Listen, Ryouji, I… I don't know why you want to give yourself up. You worked for those bastards for years, but it was in the past! I'll do _anything_ for you to stay. Why don't _I_ go?"

**Bargaining**

"Because… you didn't work for them. You worked for Ikari, whom you killed when he tried to follow their orders. You've done your job, and everything you could have."

"I just don't understand, though… I know, I _know_ I killed Shinji's father… But why did I do it?" She put her head in her hands to hide the tears. "Why are they s-still after you? I don't know what to do if you leave; I've been so lonely all these years."

**Depression**

"I know, and… I want you to know that I do care for you, Ritsuko."

"How can I know that?" she whined, "You loved Misato; I don't know if I can trust you…"

"Don't say that," he responded coldly. "Of course I loved Misato, but she's long gone. I can't waste my life thinking about something that will never come back. Do you really think that a person as good as Misato would be jealous about you having somebody to love, when she knew its joy?"

"No," she rasped, unable to contain herself as she silently wept.

"Ritsuko," he said, standing, "I have to get some sleep. You're welcome to stay here, if you think it'll be safer."

"Fine…"

**Acceptance**

He walked over to the couch and lay down, closing his eyes. Ryouji had forgotten how tired he was. The last thing he saw before sleep overtook him was Ritsuko Akagi's form, slumped over the table, sound asleep.

* * *

When the man awoke, he noticed something slightly wrong with his surroundings. Ryouji Kaji opened his eyes, and realized that his mouth was gagged, and his hands and legs were bound. He looked around the apartment. Ritsuko Akagi had been similarly constrained, and now lay on the kitchen table, unable to move at all. He surmised that Shinji was in the same predicament in the bedroom. Then, Kaji noticed the others: three men dressed in all black. One stood over the doctor, taunting her and pawing at her rudely; she was either asleep or too tightly tied up to fight back in any way. A second stood outside the door to the bedroom. _He's probably guarding Shinji,_ Ryouji thought. The third, probably the leader, was leaning against the front door, smoking a cigarette. Kaji's face caught his attention, and he approached the supine man, unceremoniously putting out the tobacco product by squashing it against a loose flap of Ritsuko's lab coat. Hatred filled Ryouji's eyes as he heard a small sizzling, meaning that the smoldering cigarette burned a hole clean through the pristine fabric. 

A thoroughly muffled cry leaked out from the floor behind the couch. Kaji's eyes widened. _Maya!_ He closed his eyes, thankful that she was here, instead of a dirty cell somewhere.

The leader of the thugs came to stand over the couch. Ryouji tried to make out the man's face, but he, as well as the others, were wearing rubbery masks of some long-dead politician.

"I am so glad that you are awake, Monsieur Kaji," his captor said.

The prisoner furrowed his eyebrows, to try to communicate his disgust. The criminal chortled at Ryouji's weak attempt to fight.

"Now," he continued, "I shall ask you some simple 'yes' or 'no' questions, and you shall respond by a nodding or shaking of your head. You understand, no?"

Deciding to humor him, Kaji nodded. The man smiled, and returned to his position leaning on the front door. "Prop him up, so that we can all see Monsieur's responses," he told one of his lackeys. The one by Ritsuko walked over and lifted Ryouji up somewhat.

Now, he could see the room better. Dr. Akagi was strapped down to the kitchen table, and Maya was secured to the floor with an absurd amount of duct tape. Her eyes were full of pain, and she appeared to have been physically abused, even before being stuck to the ground. _Only a madman,_ Kaji mused sadly.

"Now our little questionnaire shall begin," the crook said gleefully. "Monsieur Kaji, you worked for SEELE, no?"

Nod.

"You knew the ultimate plans of SEELE, no?"

Nod.

"You delivered the embryo of Adam to the late Commander of NERV, no?"

This question was crucial, as only Ryouji himself knew the answer. He glanced at Ritsuko, who had strained her eyes toward him. He nodded. The doctor relaxed her head, and even through the gag, he could hear her crying. _I helped to move Instrumentality forward, and I didn't try to stop it. I ran away._

"Monsieur, you have extensive knowledge of the members of SEELE, no?"

Nod.

"You were detained by SEELE for over a year, no?"

Nod.

"You were specifically ordered not to return to this country, no?

Nod.

"You defied that order, yes?"

Nod.

"Do you know why that order was given?"

Ryouji did not respond.

"_Do you?_" the man asked loudly, now taking a gun out of his jacket and effortlessly pointing it at Ritsuko's face.

Sighing as best he could, Ryouji shook his head.

"Then I shall tell you: You have tried, since the destruction of NERV, to get back at SEELE, and see that we are forever prevented from accomplishing what was laid out in the Scrolls. The government of Japan is powerful, and it can easily track us down, along with the United Nations. We cannot allow that to happen. We will not be deterred. _We_ must eradicate our detractors, starting now." He ripped off the rubber mask, to reveal one of the 'old men' of SEELE, with pompous hair, large, glassy eyes, and a malicious sneer on his face. From where he stood, he focused the gun at Dr. Akagi's panicked visage.

"They shall all die before your eyes," he rasped mirthfully. His right index finger stroked the trigger, and he raised his eyes to the ceiling. He began to speak in an eldritch tone:

"God's in his heaven, all's right with the w—"

He never had a chance to finish his thought, as the door behind him exploded violently, sending chunks of metal into his back. He cried out in vain as they severed his spinal cord and he died; smoke billowed into the apartment, and a shadowy figure emerged. Over a period of mere seconds, it had untied Ritsuko and Ryouji. While he cut through the duct tape that held Maya to the floor, the two other thugs sprang on top of him, but their vision was obscured by the smoke that stung their eyes. Only two shots were fired, and they fell down beside Ibuki, who screamed, and ran outside, encouraged by the man.

Ryouji, his eyes watering, felt around for the doctor. His wrists and feet were sore beyond comparison, and he felt almost too weak to keep moving. Through luck, he bumped straight into her bosom.

"Very clever, Casanova!" she wheezed.

He snorted in rough laughter as their hero shepherded them out into the fresh air.

"Where in the world is Shinji?" Ritsuko asked before collapsing into a fit of coughing.

"R-right here, Akagi-san," a weak voice behind Ryouji piped in.

"Good, let's get out of this hovel," she responded.

The three followed their benefactor, who wore a sort of gas mask to protect himself from the smoke. Maya stood beside him, shivering. She looked extremely ill, and Ritsuko flocked to her side, enveloping the younger woman in her arms. Maya cried in happiness. Shinji looked around in the chilly November morning, his eyes settling on the stranger, who had taken his protective mask off. Shinji gasped, and Ryouji shook the man's hand.

"I should have known it was you, Shigeru," Kaji admitted.

Indeed, it was Shigeru Aoba. Almost four years ago, having been briefed by the government and questioned by the United Nations, he set out to prevent madmen like the members of SEELE from ever getting in the way of organizations like NERV again. Much like Kaji, nobody but Aoba himself was really sure of his official title or status, or what he actually _did_, for that matter. As police officers swarmed the scene, the former coworkers stood huddled together. They had won the battle, but the end of the war was still a long way away.

As if very little had happened recently, Kaji checked his watch and turned to Shinji.

"It's about time you left for school. Today you have enough to get yourself lunch, too."

Shinji's mouth dropped open. _Is he serious! School? Now?_ As if hearing the boy's thought, Kaji folded his arms and nodded serenely. Shinji shoulders fell and he returned to the smoky apartment to grab his school things. He emerged moments later ready to leave. Ryouji, Ritsuko, Shigeru, and Maya all saw him off. He waved and tried to smile, but he was surprised that life could move on so smoothly. _Things are going so fast; I just want it all to slow down…_

Today, there was no reason to hurry to school, and Shinji saw her instead of crashing into her as he had done yesterday.

"Koyomi!"

She wasn't really planning on talking to him today, based on his rudeness yesterday, but when she glanced at him, she noticed that his clothes were sooty and he looked rather scuffed up. Her caring side took over.

"I-Ikari?" she asked softly, walking over to him in the snow.

Shinji froze in his steps. He looked down. _I'm really a mess,_ he thought, disgusted at his appearance. He sighed.

"There was… a fire at my apartment," he lied as they walked to the high school. She looked up at him, but he stared at the ground ahead of him.

"Are you alright? Why did you come to school?" she asked, slightly worried.

"My f—my guardian…" _Did I almost just call Kaji-san… father?_

_

* * *

_  
The head of the police force himself approached Ryouji Kaji.

"Sir, I have prepared groups of officers to watch this apartment complex in shi—"

Kaji raised his hand.

"It's alright, Chief. I have a feeling that we won't be seeing the likes of them," he said, motioning to the body bags outside Apartment 501, "for some time. I don't want to put such a strain on your people."

Ritsuko came to Ryouji's side.

"A-are you sure?"

"Of course, Akagi-san."

"Besides," Shigeru interjected, "I'm still here, and next time, if there _is_ a next time, I'll have more than just a hand grenade and a gun."

The police chief thought for a minute, but eventually shrugged his soldiers and walked off. Ritsuko looped her arm around Kaji's waist. Aoba's eyes were drawn to their indirect embrace. _I guess there's really something there… between them…_ Smiling knowingly, he left the scene peacefully. Maya had returned to her apartment to rest some time earlier. And as the sun rose to its full potential, Ritsuko Akagi and Ryouji Kaji stood in the chill morning, breathing in time.

"Ryouji, let's… go to my apartment," she whispered at one point. For a time, he didn't reply. _I expected he would get the wrong impression,_ she thought. "It's okay," she said, leaning in, "we have all the time in the world."

He looked into her eyes and nodded. They left.


End file.
